
jfa*** J@. JfinMtfg-} 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY 

TAMES L.SMITH, 



INCLUDING, ALSO, 



REMINISCENCES OF SEAVE LIEE, RECOLLEC1 LONH 

OF THE WAR, EDUCATION OF FREEDMEN, 

(AUSES OF THE EXODUS, Etc. 



SECOND EDITION. 



NORWICH : 

PRESS OF THK BULLETIN i OMPANY 

1882. 



.Si 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 18S1, 

By JAMES L. SMITH, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



07(cGC- 
5- ' 



£ 



TO THE MEMORY OF 
MY FATHER, 

CHARLES PAYNE, 

WHO LIES IN A NAMELESS, 

UNKNOWN GRAVE, 

THIS VOLUME 

IS DEDICATED. 



P R EFAC 



The writer would bring before the public the narrative of his 
life while in bondage, which is substantially true in all its details. 
The painful wrongs inflicted then and now have caused the writer, 
though many years have passed, to take up the publication of this 
narrative of himself. There are many incidents and characters 
described in this narrative personally known to the writer, which 
make him anxious to put forth some effort, however humble it may 
be, to ameliorate the condition of his now suffering people, in or- 
der that the facts may confirm the truthful saying : " -My people 
will be styled a nation yet, and also claim their nationality." For 
this they have fought and suffered hundreds of years in servitude 
and bondage. It is a fact which ought to thrill the heart of 
American citizen to see the interest they take in learning ; the un- 
tiring exertions they make to overcome every obstacle, even death 
itself, to acquire it. It is what God has promised : " To be . 
to the faithful and to their seed after them." 

The writer hopes not to weary your patience in reviewing his 
narrative, which is fraught with so many exciting scenes. It is the 
duty of men to occupy places of power and trust, therefoi 
rulers, above all others, ought to be holy and devoted men. There 
are, however, some found in every age of the world who believe 
in freedom of thought and speech ; and many who are untiring in 
their efforts to secure the future well-being of those intrusted to 
their care ; it affords the most powerful argument to influence the 



VI. PREFACE. 

minds of some. It is believed that no one who reads attentively 
and reflects seriously, will doubt that the time is near at hand 
which is spoken of by God : "Ye shall let my people go free." 
Now the great revolution seems to me to have come ; now is the 
time for us to act in trying to save that which was lost: in stimu- 
lating them to education ; and in building homes and school- 
houses for their children, that they may become honorable and re- 
spectable citizens of the States to which they have acceded. We 
want earnest laborers amongst us, for those who are instructing my 
people are few and far between ; and we have been deprived of 
education by the hand of slavery and servitude, which has been 
brought upon us by the slave-holder. I feel it is the duty of the 
people to take up our cause, and instruct wherever they can. 

Our ignorance, which is often spoken of, and for which we are 
not to blame, is caused by this ill, slavery ; and the whipping post 
was resorted to if any attempt was made to learn the alphabet. I 
can say. in the fullness of my heart, that there is no darkness equal 
to this, not even the Egyptian darkness which is spoken of by mis- 
sionaries now laboring in foreign lands. I only pray to hope on, 
and on, that God may appear in our behalf, and let the sun of 
civilization and education be extended among my people until it 
shall reach from sea to sea, and from land to land. Then shall 
Ethiopia stretch forth her hand unto God and call you blessed. 
I thank God for what I have seen and experienced so far in regard 
to the amelioration of our condition as a people. I hardly expect 
to see the completion of the act of liberty which was commenced 
by our most earnest friend, Senator Sumner. "See to the Civil 
Rights Bill; don't let it fail," were among his last words to his 
associate, who stood beside the dyingsenator. 

This volume speaks of our earnest desire for more liberty and 
rights as a free people, and that our children may enjoy that of 
which we have been deprived. Never was the effectiveness of our 
Christian instrumentalities in other lands more dependent than 
now upon the vigorous and progressive development of Christian 
principles at home. 

As we are entering upon a new decade our thoughts go back to 
1861 ; and what a period is this to review ! Could we have held 



PREFA< E. VII, 

the glass to our vision and seen what the nation would accomplish 
in its terrible struggle for existence, who would not have shrunk 

from the almost miraculous undertaking ? But < rod had the blank 
years before Him, and as they passed, He proceeded to fill oul the 

record. Nineteen years ago we were rdeking in the swell of the 
gathering storm which was so soon and unexpectedly to break in 
its fury, and who could tell how many were to perish and go down 
ere its fury should be spent ? In the strike which slavery made foi 
the ascendency, how 7 little did we know through what terrible re- 
vulsions it would pass on it> way to destruction. The cry was, 
"slavery must go down." How many mighty obstacles must fall 
before the march of the avalanche. How many disputed the <pie>- 
tion at the time, as to how this should be accomplished. Hut like 
the great iceberg when soft winds blow, and gentle rays fall on it, 
whether God would prostrate it as he does great cities when earth- 
quakes rock them, was the question to be considered. Such was 
our uncertainty then ; but these counsels were made known to us 
more speedily than we dreamed. 

We have seen how the system of slavery was to be destroyed ; 
and there is work for the Christian Church, there are responsibili- 
ties on Christian hearts which we did not anticipate nineteen years 
ago. National politics have brought about many incidental ques- 
tions ; but there is a period of new and aggressive work in which 
we are led to go forward and possess the land. Such a burden ot 
duty as it bears upon us at this time, to remember that we are 
hourly approaching opportunities and responsibilities greater than 
we have hitherto known. In this spirit we have labored for the 
grand conquests which to-day are calling us onward. In this 
spirit we must toil now. How much we ask, bringing to you 
our pressing wants — come over and help us, for my people are in 
need of instruction, both spiritual and educational ; and in thus 
aiding us you will accomplish a work of far reaching po> 
which you have now no comprehension. " If God be for us, who 
can be against us ?" 

May this narrative awaken some to still greater earnestness in 
working for Christ, and freedom through the land. " Be not weary 
in well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not." It 



Vlii. PREFACE. 

is my privilege to speak about the impoverished people of the 
South, and those main pillars of our Republic, the Church and 
the School ; thus following up the victories of our arms with the 
sublhuer victories of Christian love. What tremendous agencies 
God has employed within these few years, and what He has caused 
to be exerted for all generations to come ; and if there is one 
scripture which is more forcibly illustrated and impressed upon me 
than any other, it is this : " Whereas ye know not what shall be on 
the morrow.'' Who could have foreseen how much God would 
bring to pass in these nineteen years ? Could the author have held 
the glass to his vision, and seen what the nation would accomplish 
in its terrible struggle for existence, he would have despaired ; but 
as the period has arrived, my people are determined to go forward 
and possess the land which will bring our children within the pale 
of intellectual training in the institutions of education and religion ; 
for we all know that without this education we must expect to 
be defrauded of our homes, our earnings, and our lands. Many 
only make their mark in signing their names, for they can not read 
or write. 

This is the secret of their not having any thing to-day, and the 
responsibility rests on you, Christian people of these United States 
of America ; and the cry is for help now. There is not a nation 
under heaven that needs more sympathy and pity from the people 
of the United States than my people ; for they are maltreated 
every way in the higher educational schools, while endeavoring to 
obtain an education. 

During the most eventful period in our history, the little stream 
of light that began to flow in Virginia and the Mississippi Valley 
has from year to year widened and deepened, and rolled with 
mighty healing power. It has passed the dividing mountains, and 
carried a flood of Divine blessings to many of my people. " But 
blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear : 
for verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men 
have desired to see these things which ye see, and have not seen 
them, and to hear these things which ye hear, and have not heard 
them." We still have hope of saving our beloved people, and of 
seeing prosperity in the future. Many of the colored people de- 



PREF \< ! 

serve much of this country for what they did and suffered in the 

great national struggle. When the Rebels appeared in theii 
strength, and defeat followed defeat in quick succession, while the 
government was bleeding at every pore, and there appeared to be 
no help or power to save the Union, then oui 

to its timely aid and fought like brave men. The rebel lion struck 
at the very heart of our country. Many of them were ill-ti 
by the Union soldiers — many a colored soldier was knocked down 
by them, and maltreated in every way. The treatment the ( 
soldiers received from the hands of the white soldiers was equal 
to slavery. All this was because the white soldiers did 
to stand side by side with them — did not want the negro in the 
ranks. Pen can not begin to describe the extreme sufferings of the 
colored men in this respect. The Yankee soldiers were eagi 
glory ; the idea of having a colored man in the ranks caused many 
of them to be angry. " I will never die by the side of a nigger," 
uttered from the lips of many. 

I hope this work may find its way into the homes and hearts 
of those who are endeavoring still to help us in our i 
liberty ; if 1 succeed in this, it is all I desire. That 1 may have 
the prayers of all who are interested in my behalf is the ea 
desire of the writer. 

In purchasing this narrative you will be assisting one wl 
been held in the chattels of slavery ; who is now broken down by 
the infirmities of age, and asks your help to aid him in this, hi- 
means of support in his declining ; 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 

Birthplace — Parentage — Accident from disobedience — Sick- 
ness — Crippled for life — Death of master, and change of 
situation — Cecilia — Jealousy, and attempt to take the life 
of my father by poisoning — Discovery and punishment — 
Removal to Northern Neck — Mode of living in old Vir- 
ginia — Experiences of slave life — A cruel mistress — Work 
on plantation — Feigning sickness — Death of father and 
mother — Bound out to a trade — A brutal master, - - i 

CHAPTER II. 

YOUTH AND EARLY MANHOOD. 

Cook on board a ship — A heartless master — An unsavory 
breakfast, and punishment — A difficult voyage — Tired <>( 
life, and attempt at suicide — Escape — Life on plantation 
— A successful ruse — Removal to Heathsville, - - - *l6 

CHAPTER III. 

LIFE IN HEATHSYILLE. 

Hired out — Religious experience, conversion — Work as an 
exhorter — A slave prayer meeting — Over worked — A ludi- 
crous accident — Love of dress — Love of freedom — Death 
of my master — Religious exercises forbidden — A stealthy 
meeting — The surprise — Fairfield Church — Quarterly meet- 
ing — Nancy Merrill — A religious meeting and a deliver- 
ance — Sleeping at my post, ------ 2 



xii. CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 

Change of master— Plans of escape— Fortune telling— Zip 
— A lucky man — Farewell— Beginning of the escape — A 
prosperous sail— Arrival at Frenchtown— Continuing 
foot— Exhausted — Deserted by companions— Hesitating — 
Terrible fright — A bold resolve and a hearty breakfast — 
Re-union at New Castle — Passage to Philadelphia — A final 
farewell — Trouble and anxiety — A friend— Passage to New 
York, Hartford and Springfield — A warm welcome— Dr. 
( ivrood, --------- 



CHAPTER V. 

LIFE IN FREEDOM. 

Employment in a shoe shop — Education at YVilbrahatn — 
Licensed to preach — John M. Brown — Mrs. Cecelia Piatt 
— Elizabeth Osgood — Sabbath and Mis-ion Schoi I — Re- 
turn to Springfield — Engagement with Dr. Hudson — Expe- 
rience at Saybrook — Persecutions of Abolitionists — 1 
ing — Courtship and marriage, ----- 

CHAPTER VI. 

LIFE IN NORWICH, CONN. 

Came to Norwich — Started business — Purchase a house — 
Persecutions and difficulties— Ministerial labors— Church 
troubles— Formation of a new Methodist Church — I 
ing from ministerial work — Amos B. Herring — Mary i 
phreys— Sketches of life and customs in Africa, ' - 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 

Desire to return to Virginia— Opening of the War— Disdain 
of the aid of colored men— Defeat — Progress of the War 
—Employing colored men— Emancipation Proclamation- 
Celebration— Patriotism of Colored Soldiers— Bravery ai 
Port Hudson— Close of the War— Death of Lincoln— A 
tribute to Senator Sumner— Passage of the Civil Rights 
Bill— Our Standard Bearers, • 



CONTENTS. Xlll. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

AFTER THE WAR. 

Page. 
— \ visit to Heathsville — Father Christmas, 
children'-; festival — Preaching at Washington — My 
to my old home — Joy and rejoicing — Meeting my 

1 mistre My old cabin home — The old spring — Change 

—The old doctor— Improvement in the con- 
I 'he colored people — Buying homes — Industry, - go 

CHAPTER IX. 

C< INCLUSION. 

i Amendment Celebration — The parade — Ad- 

rt— Charles L. Remond— Closing words, - 106 

CHAPTER X. 

• 01 ORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 

■ Union men — Devotion to the Union 
—Return — The noble Kansas 
—Obedience to orders, - - - 113 

CHAPTER XI. 

RECI ELECTIONS OF THE WAR. 

- ...:ih — 1 Jelaware — Kentucky — Meetings— 
1. Wild's raid — Slave heroism — A reminis- 
Sherman's march through Georgia— Arming 
' " I2 ~ 

CHAPTER XII. 

THE EXODUS. 

in Washington— Hospitality of Washing- 
and privation— Education of the 
nigration— Cruelty at the South— 
rth— Hopes for the future. . - 140 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



James L. Smith, - Frontx 

"I Made a Desperate Effort," 44 

My Old Cabin Home, 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY 

OF 

JAMES L. SMITH 



CHAPTER I. 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 

Birthplace — Parentage — Accident from disobedience — Sicknes — 
Crippled for life — Death of master, and change of situation — 
Cecilia — Jealousy, and attempt to take the life of my father 
by poisoning — Discovery and punishment — Removal to Northern 
Neck — Mode of living in old Virginia — Experieni 
life — A cruel mistress — Work on plantation — Feigning sickness 
— Death of father and mother — Bound out to a trade — A bru- 
tal master. 




5*3 Y birthplace was in Northern Neck, Northum- 
berland County, Virginia. My mother V name 
was Rachel, and my father's was Charles. 

Our cabin home was just across the creek. 'This creek 
formed the head of the Wycomco River. Tho 
Langsdon, my master, lived on one side of the creek, 
and my mother's family— which was very large — on 
the opposite side. Every year a new comer was added 
to our humble cabin home, till she gave birth, I 
eleventh child. My mother had just so much i 
to spin every day as her stint. I lived here till 1 was 
quite a lad. 



I AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

There was a man who lived near us whose name was 
Haney, a coach maker by trade. He always had his 
timber brought up to the creek. One day he ordered 
one of his slave women to go down and bring up some 
of the timber. She took with her a small lad, about 
my size, to assist her. She came along by our cabin, 
as it was near the place where the timber was, and asked 
me to go along with her to help her. I asked mother if 
I could go. She decidedly said "No!" As my mother 
was sick, and confined to her bed at that time, I took 
this opportunity to steal away, unknown to her. We 
endeavored, at first, to carry a large piece of timber — 
the woman holding one end, I the other, and the boy 
in the middle. Before we had gone far her foot struck 
something that caused her to fall, so that it jarred my 
end, causing it to drop on my knee. The boy being in 
the middle, the full weight of the timber fell on his 
foot, crushing and mangling it in a most shocking 
manner. After this accident, the woman and boy 
started for home, carrying some smaller pieces of tim- . 
ber with them. 

After a few days of painful sickness, mortification 
took place in the little boy's foot, and death claimed 
him for his own. My grandmother hearing my voice 
of distress came after me and brought me home. At 
the time she did not think I was hurt very seriously. 
My mother called me to her bedside and punished me 
for disobeying her. After a day or two my knee began 
to contract, to shrink. This caused my mother to feel 
that there was something very serious about it, and as 
soon as she was able to get around, she went to the 
" great house," the home of Thos. Langsdon, and told 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 3 

him that I was badly hurt, and that something musl 
be done for me. He asked hei what was the matter. 
She told him what had happened to me, and how 
seriously I was hurt with the timber. After hearing 
this sad news, he said he had niggers enough \\ r 
me; I was not worth much any how, and he did 
care if I did die. He positively declared that he 
should not employ a physician for me. As there was 
no medical remedy applied to my knee, it grew w 
and worse until I could not touch my foot to the 
ground without the most intense pain. There v. 
doctor in the neighborhood at this time, and mother 
knowing it sent me to see him, unknowingly to my 
master. He examined my knee and said, as it had 
been out of joint so long it would be a difficult matter 
to break it over again and then set it. He told my 
mother to take me home and bathe it in cold spring 
water to prevent it from ulcerating, for if it should it 
would kill me. 

When I was able to walk around with my lameness, 
Thomas Langsdon took me across the creek to his 
house to do chores. I was then quite a boy. After a 
while my leg commenced swelling, and after that ulcer- 
ating. It broke in seven places. I was flat on my back 
for seven or eight weeks before I could raise myself 
without help. I suffered everything but death itself, 
and would have died if it had not been for Miss Ayers, 
who was house-keeper in the "great house." She 
came into the kitchen every day to dress my knee, till 
I could get around. Not having any shoes, and being 
exposed to the weather, I took a heavy cold which 
caused my knee to ulcerate. When I was able to get 



4 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

around the father of my young master was taken sick, 
and was confined to his bed for months. I, with 
another boy about my size and age— six or seven years 
—sat by his bedside. We took our turns alternately, 
the boy so many hours and I so many, to keep the flies 
off from him. After a while the old man died, then I 
was relieved from fighting or contending with flies. 

After this I went across the creek to help my mother, 
as I was not large enough to be of any service on the 
plantation. In the course of time my young master 
died, also his wife, leaving two sons, Thomas and John 
Langsdon. My young master chose for us (slaves) a 
guardian, who hired us all out. As my mother gave 
birth to so many children, it made her not very profit- 
able as a servant, and instead of being let out to the 
highest bidder, was let out to the lowest one that would 
support her for the least money. Hence my father, 
though a slave, agreed to take her and the children, 
and support them for so much money. 

My father's master had a brother by the name of 
Thad. Guttridge, who lived in Lancaster County, who 
died, leaving his plantation to his brother, (my father's 
master). My father was then sent to take charge of 
this new plantation, and moved my mother and the 
children with him into the " great house ; " my mother 
as mistress of the house. 

This Thad. Guttridge had a woman by the name of 
Cecilia, or Cella, as she was called, whom he kept as 
house-keeper and mistress, by whom he had one child, 
a beautiful girl almost white. After this new arrange- 
ment was made for my father to take charge of the 
new plantation, this woman Cella, was turned out of 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 

her position as house-keeper to a field hand, to work 
on the plantation in exchange with my mother. 

This was not very agreeable to Cella, so she sought 
or contrived some plan to avenge herself. So om 
urday night Cella went off, and did not return till 
Sunday night. When she did return she brought with 
her some whiskey, in two bottles. She asked father if 
he would like to take a dram ; and, not thinking there 
would be any trouble resulting from it, he replied : 
"Yes." Giving him the bottle, he took a drink. Sh<_- 
then gave the other bottle to my mother, and she took 
a drink. Afterwards, Cella gave us children some out 
of the same bottle that my mother drank from. 
Father went to bed that night, complaining of not 
feeling very well. The next morning he was w 
and continued to grow worse until he was very low. 
His master was immediately sent for, who came in 
great haste. On his arrival he found father very low, 
not able to speak aloud. My master, seeing in what a 
critical condition he was, sent for a white doctor, who 
came, and gave father some medicine. He grew v 
every time he took the medicine. There was an old 
colored doctor, who lived some ten miles off. Some one 
told Bill Guttridge that he had better see him, and 
perhaps he could tell what was the matter with my 
father. Bill Guttridge went to see this colored doctor. 

The doctor looked at his cards, and told him that 
his Charles was poisoned, and even told him who did 
it, and her motive for doing it. Her intention was to 
get father and mother out of their place, so that she 
could get back again. Little did she think that the 
course she took would prove a failure. The doctor 



D AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

Guttridge a bottle of medicine, and told him to return 
in haste, and give father a dose of it. He did so. I saw 
him coming down the lane towards the house, at full 
speed. He jumped off his horse, took his saddle-bags 
and ran into the house. He called my mother to give 
him a cup, so he could pour out some of the medicine. 
He then raised my father up and gave him some of it 
out of the cup. After he had laid him down, and re 
placed the covering over him again, he took his hick- 
ory cane and went out into the kitchen — Cella sat 
here with her work — with an oath told her : " You have 
poisoned my Charles." He had no sooner uttered 
these words, than he flew at her with his cane. As he 
was very much enraged, he commenced beating her 
over the head and shoulders till he had worn the cane 
out. After he had stopped beating her in this brutal 
manner her head was swollen or puffed to such size 
that it was impossible to recognize who she was ; she 
did not look like the same woman. Not being satis- 
fied with this punishment, he told her that he intended 
repeating it in the morning. In the morning, when he 
went to look for her, she was gone. He stayed with 
father till he was able to sit up. When he returned 
home — which was about ten miles — he left word with 
father that if Cella came home, to bind her and send 
her down to him. 

This was in the fall of the year. Some months 
passed before we saw Cella again. The following 
spring, while the men were cleaning up the new land, 
Cella came to them ; they took and brought her to the 
house. Father was then able to walk about the house, 
but was unable to work much. He had her tied, and 



P.IRTH AND CHILDHOOD 



put behind a man on horseback and carried down to 
his master, who took her and put her on board a 
sel to be sent to Norfolk. He sold her to somi 
there. This was the last time we ever saw, or heard 
from her. 

We lived here quite a number of years on Lai 
ter plantation. Finally my father's master sold it, and 
also his brother's daughter, Cella's child. We then 
returned from Lancaster plantation to Northern N 
Va., and lived nearly in the same place, called 
Point; we lived here quite a number of years. Mr. 
Dick Mitchell, my master's guardian took me away 
from my mother to Lancaster County, on his planta- 
tion, where I lived about six months. I used to do 
chores about the house, and card rolls for the women. 
Being lame unfitted me for a field hand, so I had to do 
work about the house, to help the women. 

Our dress was made of tow cloth ; for the children, 
nothing was furnished them but a shirt ; for the older 
ones, a pair of pantaloons or a gown, in addition, 
cording to the sex. Besides these, in the winter 
son an overcoat, or a round jacket ; a wool hat once 
in two or three years for the men, and a pair of coarse 
brogan shoes once a year. We dwelt in log cabins, and 
on the bare ground. Wooden floors were an unknown 
luxury to the slave. There were neither furniture nor 
bedsteads of any description ; our beds were collec- 
tions of straw and old rags, thrown down in the cor- 
ners ; some were boxed in with boards, while others 
were'old ticks filled with straw. All ideas of de< 
and refinement were, of course, out of the question. 

Our mode of living in Virginia was not unlike all 



O AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

other slave states. At night, each slept rolled up in a 
coarse blanket ; one partition, which was an old quilt 
or blanket, or something else that answered the pur- 
pose, was extended across the hut ; wood partitions 
were unknown to the doomed slave. A water pail, a 
boiling pot, and a few gourds made up the furniture. 
When the corn had been ground in a hand-mill, and 
then boiled, the pot was swung from the fire and the 
children squatted around it, with oyster shells for 
spoons. Sweet potatoes, oysters and crabs varied the 
diet. Early in the morning the mothers went off to 
the fields in companies, while some women too old to 
do any thing but wield a stick were left in charge of 
the strangely silent and quiet babies. The field hands 
having no time to prepare any thing for their morning 
meals took up hastily a piece of hoe-cake and bacon, 
or any thing that was near at hand, and then, with 
rakes or hoes in the hand, hurried off to the fields at 
early dawn, for the loud horn called them to their 
labors. Heavy were their hearts as they daily travers- 
ed the long cotton rows. The overseer's whip took no 
note of aching hearts. 

The allowance for the slave men for the week was a 
peck-and-a-half of corn meal, and two pounds of 
bacon. The women's allowance was a peck of meal 
and from one pound-and-a-half to two pounds of 
bacon ; and so much for each child, varying from one- 
half to a peck a week, and of bacon, from one-half to 
a pound a week. In order to make our allowance 
hold out, we went crabbing or fishing. In the winter 
season we used to go hunting nights, catching oysters, 
coons and possums. When I was home the slaves 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 

used to bake their hoe-cakes on hoes— these hoes wen- 
larger than those used in the northern states. Another 
way for cooking them was to rake the ashes and then 
put the meal cake between the ashes and the fire — this 
was called ash pone; and still another way \va 
bake the bare cake in a Dutch oven, heated for the 
purpose— that was called oven pone. Hi is latter way 
of baking them was much practiced, or custom i 
the home of the slave-holders. 

The "great house," so called by the plant,, 
hands, was the home where the master and his family 
lived. The kitchen was an apartment by itself in the 
yard, a little distance from the "great house," so ; 
face the front part of the house ; others were built in 
the back yard. The kitchens had one bed-room at- 
tached to them. 

One night I went crabbing, and was up most all 
night ; a boy accompanied me. We caught a large 
mess of crabs, and took them home with us. The 
next day I had to card for one of the women to spin, 
and, being up all night, I could hardly keep my eyes 
open ; every once in a while I would fall asleep. Mr-. 
Mitchell could look through her window into the 
kitchen, it being in front of the "great house." She 
placed herself in the portico, to see that I worked. 
"\\ "hen I fell into a quiet slumber she would hallo'* 
and threaten to cowhide me ; but, for all that I could 
not keep awake. Seeing that I did not heed her 
threatenings, she took her rawhide and sewing and 
seated herself close by me, saying she would see if she 
could keep me awake. She asked me what was the 
matter; I told her I felt sick. (1 was a great hand to 



10 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

feign sickness). She asked me what kind of sickness; 
I told her I had the stomach ache and could not work. 
Thinking that something did ail me, she sent Alfred, 
the slave boy, into the house after her medicine chest ; 
she also told him to bring her the decanter of whisky. 
She then poured out a tumbler most full of whisky 
and then made me drink all of it. After drinking it I 
was worse than I was before, for I was so drunk I could 
not see what I was doing. Every once in a while 
when I fell asleep she would give me a cut with the 
rawhide. At last, night came and I was relieved from 
working so steady. When I was not carding I was 
obliged to knit ; I disliked it very much ; I was very 
slow ; it used to take me two or three weeks to knit 
one stocking, and when I had finished it you could not 
tell what the color was. 

I had also to drive the calves for the milk-woman to 
milk. One afternoon, towards night, I stopped my 
other work to hunt up the calves and have them at the 
cow-pen by the time the milk-woman came with the 
cows ; I went in one of the quarters, and being tired, I 
sat down on a bench, and before I knew it I fell asleep 
and slept till after dark. The milk-woman came with 
the cows, but there were no calves there. She hallooed 
for me, but I was not within hearing. As the cow-pen 
was not far from the "great house " the mistress heard 
her. At last the milk-woman came to the " great 
house " to see what had become of me, but no Lindsay 
could be found. She went to the kitchen where the 
milk pails were kept, took them, and then drove the 
calves up herself and went to milking. Before she had 
finished, I awoke and started for the kitchen for the 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 1 i 

pails. When I got there, Mrs. Mitchell was standing 

up in the middle of the kitchen floor. Slu- asked me 
where I had been ; I told her I fell asleep in the quar- 
ters and forgot myself. She said she would learn me 
how to attend to my business ; so she told Alfred to go 
into the "great house " and bring her the rawhide. I 
stood there trembling about mid-way of the floor. 
Taking the rawhide, and lifting her large arms as high 
as she could, applied it to my back. The sharp twang 
of the rawhide, as it struck my shoulders, raised me 
from the floor. 

Jinny, the cook, told me afterwards, that when Mrs. 
Mitchell struck me I jumped about four feet, and did 
not touch the floor again till I was out doors. She fol- 
lowed me to the door and just had time to see me turn 
the corner of the " great house." I then ran down 
towards the cow-pen. The cook told me the way I 
was running as I turned the corner, that she did not 
believe that there was a dog or horse on the plantation 
that could have caught me. I went to the cow-pen 
and helped the woman to finish milking, and stayed 
around till I thought that Mrs. Mitchell had gone into 
the " great house." But to my astonishment when I 
went to the kitchen again, behold, there she was still 
waiting for me. She asked me why I ran from her ; 1 
told her that it hurt me so bad when she struck me 
that I did not know that I was running. She said the 
next time she whipped me that she would have me 
tied, then she guessed I would not run. She let me off 
that night by promising her that I would do better, 
and never run from her again. 

Mrs. Mitchell was a very cruel woman ; 1 have seen 



\'2 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

her whip Jinny in a very brutal manner. There was a 
large shade tree that stood in the yard ; she would 
make Jinny come out under this tree, and strip her 
shoulders all bare ; then she would apply the rawhide 
to her bare back until she had exhausted her own 
strength, and was obliged to call some of the house 
servants to bring her a chair. While she was resting, 
she would keep Jinny still standing. After resting her 
weary arms she commenced again. Thus she whipped 
and rested till she had applied fifty blows upon her 
suffering back. There was not a spot upon her naked 
back to lay a finger but there would be a gash, gush- 
ing forth the blood; every cut of the rawhide forced 
an extraordinary groan from the suffering victim ; she 
then sent her back to the kitchen, with her back sore 
and bleeding, to her work. We slaves often talked the 
matter over amongst ourselves, and wondered why God 
suffered such a cruel woman to live. One night, as we 
were talking the matter over, Jinny exclaimed : " De 
Lord bless me, chile, I do not believe dat dat devil will 
ever die, but live to torment us." 

After a while I left there for Hog Point, to live with 
my mother. In the course of a year or two old Mrs. 
Mitchell sickened, and died. 

After she died I went down to see the folks on the 
plantation. After my arrival, they told me that just 
before she breathed her last, she sent for Jinny to 
come to her bedroom. As she entered, she looked up 
and said: "Jinny, I am going to die, and I suppose 
you are glad of it." Jinny replied: u No, I am not." 
After pretending to cry, she came back to the kitchen 
and exclaimed : " Dat old devil is going to die, and I 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. L3 

am glad of it." When her mistress died her poor 
back had a brief respite for a while. I do not 
what took place upon the plantation after this. 

As my young master became of age about this time, 
Mr. Mitchell gave the guardianship to him. During 
this time my mother died; then I was bound out to his 
uncle, John Langsdon, to learn the shoe-maker's trade. 
John Langsdon was a very kind man, and struck me 
but once the whole time I was with him in Fairfield, 
and then it was my own fault. One day, while I was 
at work in the shop, I put my work down and went 
out; while I was out, I stepped into the " great house." 
His two sons were in the house shelling corn ; some 
words passed between his eldest son and me, which 
resulted in a fight. Mr. Langsdon was looking out of 
the shop window and saw us fighting; so he caught up 
a stick and struck me three or four times, and then 
drove me off to the shop to my work. I took hold ot 
shoe-making very readily; I had not been there a great 
while when I could make a shoe, or a boot— this I 
acquired by untiring industry. He used to give me 
my stint, a pair of shoes a day. I remained with him 
four years. 

The first cruel act of my master, as soon as he be- 
came of age, and took his slaves home, was to sell one 
of my mother's children, whose name was Cella, who 
was carried off by a trader. We never saw or heard 
from her again. Oh ! how it rent my mother's heart ; 
although her heart was almost broken by grief and de- 
spair, she bore this shock in silent but bitter a 
Her countenance exhibited an anxious and sorrowful 
expression, and her manner gave evidence of a deep 



14 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

settled melancholy. This, and other troubles which 
she was compelled to pass through, and constant toil 
and exposure so shattered her physical frame that dis- 
ease soon preyed upon her, and hastened her to the 
grave. Ah ! I saw not the death-angel, as with white 
wings he approached. When the hour came for her 
departure from earth there was but a slight struggle, 
a faint gasp, and the freed spirit went to its final home. 
Gone where there are neither bonds nor tortures, sor- 
row and weeping are unknown. 

My mother was buried in a field where there was no 
other dead deposited ; no stone marks her resting 
place ; no fragrant flowers adorn the sod that covers 
her silent house. 

My father soon followed my mother to the grave ; 
then we children were left fatherless and motherless in 
the cold world. My father's death was very much felt, 
as a good servant, being quick and energetic, rendered 
him a favorite with his master. When my father was 
about to die he called his children, those who were at 
home, around him, as no medicine could now retard 
the steady approach of the death -angel. When we 
assembled about him he bade us all farewell, saying, 
there was but one thing that troubled him, and that 
was, not one of us professed religion. When I heard 
that, and saw his sunken eye and hollow cheek, my 
heart sank within me. Oh ! how those words did cut 
me like a two-edged sword. From that day I com- 
menced to seek the Lord with all my heart, and never 
stopped till I found Him. After my father's death my 
eldest sister took charge of the younger children, until 
her master took her home 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 15 

One cold morning, while I lived at Hog Point, we 
looked out and saw three men coming towards the 
house. One was Mr: Hana^the other one was one of 

his neighbors, and the last one was his slave. Near 
our cabin home was a large oak tree ; they took this 
doomed slave down to this tree, and stripped him en- 
tirely naked ; then they threw a rope across a limb 
and tied him by his wrists, and drew him up so that 
his feet cleared the ground. They then applied the 
lash to his bare back till the blood streamed and red- 
dened the ground underneath where he hung. After 
whipping him to their satisfaction, they took him 
down, and led him bound through our yard. I looked 
at him as he passed, and saw the great ridges in his 
back as the blood was pouring out of them, and it was 
as a dagger to my heart. They took him and forced 
him to work, with his back sore and bleeding. He 
came to our cabin a night or two afterwards. My 
mother asked him what Mr. Haney beat him for. He 
said it was for nothing only because he did not work 
enough for him; he did all he could, but the unrea- 
sonable master demanded more. I never saw him any 
more, for shortly after this we moved away. 



* <C^g3> » 



16 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 



CHAPTER II. 



YOUTH AND EARLY MANHOOD. 

Cook on board a ship — A heartless master — An unsavory break- 
fast, and punishment — A difficult voyage — Tired of life, and 
attempt at suicide — Escape — Life on plantation — A successful 
ruse — Removal to Heathsville. 




HEN I lived at Mrs. Mitchell's there was a 
man who owned a vessel, who came there 
and took our grain. He told Mr. Mitchell 
he would like to take me and make a sailor of me. 
He liked the looks of my countenance very much, so 
they struck a bargain. The captain took me on board 
his vessel and made a cook of me. I stayed with him 
about two years, and most of the time he treated me 
very cruelly. He used to strip and whip me with the 
cat-o'-nine-tails. [This cat-o'nine-tails was a rope 
having nine long ends and at each end a hard knot.] 

One day as we lay at the dock in Richmond, Va., 
he rose very early one morning and told me that he 
was going up town, advising me to have breakfast 
ready by the time he arrived. The weather was very 
cold. As it stormed that morning very hard, I asked 
him if I could cook down in the cabin. His reply 
was " No ;" and that I must cook in the caboose. 



YOUTH AND EARLY MANHOOD. \i 

[This caboose was a large black kettle set on the <! 
all open to the weather, to make lire in, and supported 
by bricks to prevent it burning the deck.] 
had to be reconciled to my situation, I made m\ 
the best I could. The rain and wind extinguished the 
fire, so that I could not fry the fish ; hence 1 could 
not turn them, for they cleaved to the frying pan ; so 
I thought I would stir them up in a mess and make 
poached fish of them ; I then poured them out into a 
dish, and placed them on the table. 

Very soon the captain came aboard drunk, and 
asked me if breakfast was ready ; I told him : kk \ i :s." 
When he went down into the cabin and sat at the 
table, I crept off and peeped through the cabin win- 
dow, to see what effect the breakfast would have upon 
him. While he sat there, I beheld that he looked at 
the poached fish with a great deal of dissatisfaction 
and disgust. He called me " doctor," and commanded 
me to come down into the cabin. I replied promptly. 
When I got there, he pointed to the fish, and asked me 
if I could tell which parts of those fish belonged to 
each other; I told him I could not tell. As the cook- 
ing devolved on me that morning, I tried to justify m\ - 
self by telling him that the rain and wind cooled ray 
pan so that I could not fry the fish, and that I had 
done the best I could. 

After hearing this, he told me to strip myself, and 
then go and stand on deck till he had eaten his break- 
fast. I suffered intensely with the cold. Some of the 
people on the dock laughed at me, while others pitied 
me. There I was, divested of my clothing: He 
turned his fiery eyes on me when he came on deck; 
2 



18 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

and, with a look of fierce decision on his face, (for now 
all the fierceness of his nature was aroused), he took a 
rope's end and applied it vigorously to my naked back 
until he deemed that I had atoned for my offence. 
The blows fell hard and fast, raising the skin at every 
stroke ; by the time he was through whipping me I 
was warm enough. I then went down into the cabin 
to remove the breakfast things. I did not eat any thing, 
for I had lost all appetite for food. In the course of 
the day we got under way, and started for home. 

We then proceeded down the James River, and 
thence to a place called Carter's Creek. Here we took 
in a haul of oysters, and then started for Alexandria. 
The wind headed us off for several days, and the 
weather was very cold. At last the wind favored us, 
enabling us to continue our voyage till we arrived at 
Chesapeake Bay; just at this time the wind came in 
contact with our vessel and headed us off again. It 
was now in the stillness of the night (mid-night) when 
the mate in the cabin was far under the influence of 
liquor ; he was so beastly drunk that he could not get 
out to give any assistance whatever. Hence I had to 
manage the sails the best I could, while the captain 
stood at the helm. We strove all night endeavoring to 
get up the bay. About two o'clock in the morning the 
captain told me to bring up the jug of whisky to him 
Just at this time the vessel sprung a leak. I did all I 
could to stop the leakage ; the captain told me to go 
to the pump and do the best I could till morning. 
Both of us tried to get the mate out, but did not suc- 
ceed. We then turned the vessel around and put back, 
reaching about day the place from whence we first 



YOUTH AND EARLY MANHOOD. L9 

started. By this time the mate was nearly over his 
drunken spell and was somewhat mure sober, 
what peril we were in, went with us to the pump to 
free the vessel. On account of the cold weather, we 
lay in Carter's Creek several days; our oysters spoiled 
and we were obliged to throw them overboard. We 
then took in a freight of merchandise and started for 
Fredericksburg; here we discharged our freight and 
returned; going down the Rappahannock we stopped 
to take in a freight of corn for Fredericksburg. ( >ne 
morning the captain and mate went ashore after a load 
of corn, leaving me on board to get breakfast and to 
have it ready by the time he returned. I had it ready 
as he requested. When they had nearly finished their 
meal the captain asked me for more tea ; 1 told him it 
was all out ; he wanted to know why I did not make 
more tea; I told him I thought there was a plenty, it 
was as much as I generally made. He challenged me 
for daring to think ; he told me to go forward and di- 
vest myself of every article of clothing, and wait till he 
came. When he did come he put my head between 
his legs, and while I was in that position I thought my 
last days had come ; I thought while he was using the 
cat-o'-nine-tails to my naked back, and hearing the 
whizzing of the rope, that if ever 1 got away I would 
throw myself overboard and put an end to my life. 
The captain had punished me so much that I was tired 
of life, for it became a burden to me. 

The cat-o'-nine-tails had no rest, for so dearly did 
he love its music that a day seldom passed in which 
he could find no occasion for its use. On the impulse 
of the moment, I gave a sudden spring, and struck 



20 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

the water some distance from the vessel, and as I 
could not swim I began to sink. I found that unless 
I was helped soon I would drown. I began to repent 
of what I had done, and wished that I had not com- 
mitted such a rash act. When I attempted to bring 
myself up to the surface of the water with success, I 
looked towards the vessel to see if the captain was 
coming to help me, and at this moment of my peril, in- 
stead of rendering any assistance he sat perfectly at 
ease, or composed on the deck looking at me, but mak- 
ing no effort to help me. I said to myself, " I wonder 
if that old devil intends to let me drown, and not try 
to save me." All that I could do I was not able to keep 
myself on the surface of the water. Before I was out 
of reach and began to sink for the last time, I felt some- 
thing grasp me ; I found that it was the captain, who 
finally consented to draw me up to the surface of the 
water, and throw me in the boat. I was so exhausted 
that I could neither stand up or sit down, but was 
obliged to lay on the bottom of the boat. While I was 
lying down he commenced beating me with the cat-o'- 
nine-tails very unmercifully ; the more he beat me, the 
more the w r ater poured out of my mouth. The mate 
told me afterwards that the water flowing out of my 
mouth reminded him of a whale spouting water. 

We then pursued our course to Fredericksburg ; 
when reaching there we discharged our merchandise — 
the vessel made water very fast, so we returned to Car- 
ter's Creek to undergo repairs. Here it lay for a num- 
ber of days, for the ship-carpenters were not ready to 
take care of her ; hence I had to stay by the vessel 
while the captain and mate went home. After I had 



YOUTH AND EARLY MANHOOD. 21 

been there a few weeks I sought an opportunity to run 
away. I saw a vessel one day going to my former 
home, Mr. Dick. Mitchell's. I got on board this \ 
for home, having been gone for two wars. I remained 
at this home about a year and did chores about the 
house while I did stay, and during the cotton season 1 
had just so much cotton to pick out during the day. 

One spring Mr. Mitchell put me in the field t< 
tend to the crows, to prevent them pulling up the corn. 
This was three or four years before Mrs. Mitchell's 
death. This exercise did very well during the week 
days, but when the Sabbath day came I desired a res- 
pite from this monotonous work. The Sabbath day 
was a lonesome dav to me, because the field hands 
were away that day ; the boys would be away frolick- 
ing at some place they had chosen. I resolved that J 
would break up, or put an end to my Sunday employ- 
ment; so I studied a plan, while I sat down in the field 
one Sabbath, how I should accomplish it. First, 1 
thought I would feign sickness; then I said to myself, 
that will not do, for they will give me something that 
will physic me to death. My next contrivance was 
that I would pretend that I had the stomach ache ; 
then, I said again, that will not do either, for then my 
mistress will make me drunk with whisky, as she had 
done before by her repeated doses. I devised another 
scheme, I thought the best of all, and that was to pre- 
tend that I had broken my leg again. As this plan 
was satisfactory to my mind I arose from where I was 
sitting and resumed my work. Monday morning I 
returned to the field, as usual. 

All at once I intentionally struck my foot against a 



22 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

stone. I made out that I had broken my leg again. 
When I came to the house, Jinny, the cook, saw me ; 
her first exclamation was : " Why, chile, what is de 
matter ? " In reply, I only gave a deep, mournful 
sound, and made a dreadful time about my leg, how 
it pained me, and so on. The cook, after looking pit- 
ifully at me, took my hand and helped me into the 
kitchen. While there I gave a sad account about my 
leg ; I complained of feeling faint, and desired some- 
thing to drink that I might feel better. She took a 
blanket into the adjoining room, and invited me to lie 
down on the floor. [This adjoining room was a little 
bedroom attached to the kitchen]. Every effort I 
made towards lying down I would groan piteously, and 
whimper as though it hurt me dreadfully. While I 
was on the floor Mr. Mitchell and family were at 
breakfast in the "great house." 

Alfred, the servant boy, carried the news to the fam- 
ily that I had broken my leg. As soon as Mr. Mitch- 
ell heard of this, he said with an oath, that he would 
tend to it when he had eaten his breakfast. It was 
not long before I heard his speedy steps, as he was 
coming towards me; just this moment, I said to my- 
self, M this day it is either victory or death." 

As he stepped into the kitchen he called out to 
Jinny, the cook, "Where is that one legged son of a 

b ? " She replied that I was in the adjoining room, 

very badly hurt. Ke, with an awful oath, said that he 
would break my other leg. When he came into the 
bedroom where I was he sang out with a loud voice, 
and with a dreadful oath, commanding me to rise, or 
else he would take every inch of skin off from my 



YOUTH AND EARLY MANHOOD. 23 

back. I told him that I was so much hurt that i ■ 
not get up. My complaints only vexed him the I 
so much so that he told Alfred to go into the ' 
and bring him the rawhide, and said that he would 
raise me. 

By the time the boy had returned, I was up on 
leg choking down the sobs now and then. Mr. Mitch- 
ell told me to take some corn and replant those hills I 
had allowed the crows to pull up. I took the corn and 
started to do my work, groaning and crying at every 
step. I did not get far before he called me back and 
asked me if I had eaten my breakfast ; I told him I had 
not. As his passions had subsided, he told me I 
my breakfast and then go out and plant the corn. I 
first went into the kitchen, and then to my room to lie- 
down on the floor. Jinny came to me and asked me 
if I would have something to eat. I told her I was in 
too much pain to eat. (Just that moment I w. 
hungry that I could have eaten the flesh of a dead 
horse). After Mrs. Mitchell had removed the break- 
fast things she came into the kitchen to see how I was. 
and found me groaning at a great rate, as if in great 
distress. She put her arm under my head to raise me, 
for I pretended that I was in so much pain that 1 could 
not raise myself. 

Mrs. Mitchell was a very tyrannical woman, but 
withstanding her many failings she occasionally mani- 
fested a little kindness. She rolled up my pantal 
and commenced bathing my knee with opodeldi 
saponaceous camphorated liniment) that she 
such purposes ; after which she bound it up nicely and 
then laid me down again. Mr. Mitchell never came 
after me any more. Mrs. Mitchell rebuked her hus" 



24 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

band by telling him that he had no business to send 
me out in the field among the stumps to attend to the 
crows, for I was not able to be there. 

I lay on the floor in my room about two weeks. In 
the course of the afternoon Jinny came into my room 
and asked me if I would have something to eat ; I told 
her I would try and eat a little something — just then I 
was hungry enough to eat a peck. When she return- 
ed with some bacon and corn-cake, (meal cake) I did 
not dare to eat much for fear that the rest of the family 
would mistrust that I was not sick. At the end of two 
weeks I asked one of the field hands if the crows had 
stopped coming to trouble the corn, his reply was : 
" Yes, it was so, for the cherries were getting ripe, and 
they were eating them instead." After hearing this 
joyful news I began to grow better very fast. The 
first day I sat up nearly all day ; the next day I was 
able to go out some. When Saturday came I could 
walk quite a distance to see my mother, who lived some 
ten miles off. 

Being lame, I was not very profitable on the planta- 
tion, so I went back to live with my mother till she 
died. At this time my eldest sister kept house for my 
father till the young children were old enough to be 
hired out. My young master had become of age, and 
had his slaves divided between himself and his brother, 
each taking his half. It was at this time that my 
young master took me and put me in charge, or in- 
trusted me to the care of his uncle, in Fairfield, to learn 
the shoe-maker's trade. I served four years, during 
which time my father died. After I had learned my 
trade, my master took me home and opened a shop in 
Heathsville, Va., placing me in it. 



LIFE IN HEATHSVIL1 E. 



CHAPTER III. 



LIFE IN HEATHSVILLE. 

Mired out— Religious experience, conversion— Work as an ex- 
horter— A slave prayer meeting— Over worked— A ludicrous 
accident— Love of dress— Love of freedom— Death of m\ 
master— Religious exercises forbidden— A stealthy meeting— 
The surprise— Fairfield Church— Quarterly meeting— Nanq 
Merrill — A religious meeting and a deliverance— Sleeping al 
my post. 




RAX the shop for one year, during which 
time my young master became jealous of me. 
He thought I was making more mone\ 
myself than for him; it was not so; he was mistaken 
about it. What little I did earn for myself was justly 
my own. While I was away enjoying myself one 
Christmas day, he took an ox-cart with my brother, for 
Heathsville. The driving devolved on my brother. 
My master carried off my tools and every thing that 
was in the shop; he hired me out to a man who was 
considered by everyone to be the worst one in Heaths- 
ville, whose name was Mr. Lacky, advising him 
keep me very strict, for I was knowing most too much." 
I lived with him three years, and managed 
escape the cowhide all the time I was there, saving 
once. I strove by my prudence and correctness of de- 



26 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

meanor to avoid exciting bis evil passions. While 
learning the shoe-maker's trade, I was about eighteen 
years old. At this time I became deeply interested in 
my soul's salvation ; the white people held a prayer 
meeting in Fairfield one evening in a private house; I 
attended the meeting that evening, but was not permit- 
ted to go in the same room, but only allowed to go in 
an adjoining room. While there I found peace in be- 
lieving, and in this happy state of mind I went home 
rejoicing and praising the Lord for what he had done 
for me. A few Sabbaths following, I united with the 
Church in Fairfield. Soon after I was converted I 
commenced holding meetings among the people, and it 
was not long before my fame began to spread as an ex- 
horter. I was very zealous, so much so that I used to 
hold meetings all night, especially if there were any 
concerned about their immortal soul. 

I remember in one instance that having quit work 
about sundown on a Saturday evening, I prepared to 
go ten miles to hold a prayer meeting at Sister Gould's. 
Quite a number assembled in the little cabin, and we 
continued to sing and pray till daybreak, when it 
broke. All went to their homes, and I got about an 
hour's rest while Sister Gould was preparing breakfast. 
Having partaken of the meal, she, her daughter and 
myself set out to hold another meeting two miles fur- 
ther ; this lasted till about five o'clock, when we re- 
turned. Then I had to walk back ten miles to my 
home, making in all twenty-four miles that day. How 
I ever did it, lame as I was, I cannot tell, but I was so 
zealous in the work that I did not mind going any 
distance to attend a prayer meeting. I actually walk- 



LIFE IN HEATHSVILLE. 



27 



ed a greater part of the distance fast asleep ; I knew 
the road pretty well. There used to be a great many 
run-aways in that section, and they would hide away 
in the woods and swamps, and if they found a person 
alone as I was, they would spring out at them and rob 
them. As this thought came into my head during my 
lonely walks, thinks I, it won't do for me to go to sleep; 
and I began to look about me for some weapon of de- 
fence. I took my jack-knife from my pocket and open- 
ed it ; now I am ready to stab the first one that tackles 
me, I said ; but try as I would, I commenced to nod, 
nod, till I was fast asleep again. The long walk and 
the exertion of carrying on the meeting had nearly 
used me up. 

The way in which we worshipped is almost inde- 
scribable. The singing was accompanied by a certain 
ecstasy of motion, clapping of hands, tossing of heads, 
which would continue without cessation about half an 
hour ; one would lead off in a kind of recitative style, 
others joining in the chorus. The old house partook 
of the ecstasy; it rang with their jubilant shouts, and 
shook in all its joints. It is not to be wondered at 
that I fell asleep, for when I awoke I found I had lost 
my knife, and the fact that I would now have to de- 
pend on my own muscle, kept me awake till I had 
reached the neighborhood of my home. There was a 
lane about half a mile from the house, on each side of 
which was a ditch to drain the road, and was nearly 
half full of water; as I neared this lane I fell asleep 
again, as the first thing I knew I was in the ditch ; I 
had walked right off into it, best clothes and all. Such 
a paddling to get out you never saw. I was wide 



28 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

awake enough now you may rest assured, and went 
into the house sick enough; my feet were all swollen, 
and I was laid up for two or three days. My mistress 
came in to see me, and said I must have medicine. I 
had to bear it, and she dosed me well. 

As soon as I was able, I went to work. I had a shop 
all to myself. My master lived five miles away, but 
would come once a week and take all the earnings; 
some weeks I would make a great deal, then I would 
keep some back for myself, as I had worked for it. 
In this way I saved at one time fifteen dollars ; I went 
to the store, bought a piece of cloth, carried it to the 
tailor and had a suit made — I had already bought a 
watch, and had a chain and seal. You can imagine 
how I looked the following Sunday; I was very proud 
and loved to dress well, and all the young people used 
to make a great time over me ; it was Brother Payne 
here, and Brother Payne there ; in fact, I was nearly 
everywhere. 

The other slaves were obliged to be on the planta- 
tion when the horn blew, at daybreak, but sometimes 
I did not get home till twelve o'clock ; sometimes it 
would be night, and I always escaped a whipping. 
The first Sunday that I was arrayed in my new suit, 
I was passing the court house bounds, when I saw 
my master and a man named Betts standing near by. 
Betts caught sight of me ; says he : " Lindsay, come 
here." Not knowing what he wanted, I went to him; 
whereupon he commenced looking first at me, then at 
my master; then at my master, then at me; finally he 
said : " Who is master ; Lindsay or you, for he dresses 
better than you do? Does he own you, or do you 
own him ?" 



LIFE IN HEATHSVILLE. 29 

From a child I had always felt that I wanted to be 
free. I could not bear the thought of belonging to 
any one, and so when I ran away, my mind was made 
up all in a sudden. My master came as far as Phila- 
delphia to look for me; and, my brother says, when he 
came back without me he became a very demon on 
the plantation, cutting and slashing, cursing and swear- 
ing at the slaves till there was no living with him. He 
seemed to be out of his head ; and for hours would set 
looking straight into the fire; when spoken to, he 
would say : " I can't think what made Lindsay leave 
me." 

One day he ordered my brother and a man named 
Daniel to move the barn from where it set further out 
to one side. So my brother went to work, with two 
or three others, and had raised it about three or four 
feet, when something gave way; and, as they were 
under the barn, they all ran out. My master seeing 
this became furious. " How dare you to run ? You 
shall stay under there, if you get crushed to pieces ! " 
So saying, he went into the house and got the rawhide. 
"Now," says he, "the first one who runs, I'll cut to 
pieces." He then took his place inside the barn, and 
commanded them to go on with their work, while he 
looked on. 

They began to turn the screw, when some timber 
from above fell right across the door, completely block- 
ading it. Master was shut up in the barn, and it was 
impossible for him to get out. Why he did not jump 
out, when the creaking sound gave him warning, no one 
can tell ; he seemed to sit back there, in a dazed sort 
of a way. There was a rush to rescue him, and he 



30 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

was found all mangled and bruised, with the rawhide 
grasped tightly in his hand. My brother says he only 
gasped once or twice after he was brought out. 

When Nat. Turner's insurrection broke out, the col- 
ored people were forbidden to hold meetings among 
themselves. Nat. Turner was one of the slaves who 
had quite a large army ; he was the captain to free his 
race. Notwithstanding our difficulties, we used to 
steal away to some of the quarters to have our meet- 
ings. One Sabbath I went to a plantation about five 
miles off, where a slave woman had lost a child the day 
before, and as it was to be buried that day, we went to 
the " great house " to get permission from the master 
if we could have the funeral then. He sent back word 
for us to bury the child without any funeral services. 
The child was deposited in the ground, and that night 
we went off nearly a mile to a lonely cabin on Griffin 
Furshee's plantation, where we assembled about fifty 
or seventy of us in number; we were so happy that we 
had to give vent to the feelings of our hearts, and were 
making more noise than we realized. The master, 
whose name was Griffin Furshee, had gone to bed, and 
being awakened by the noise, took his cane and his 
servant boy and came where the sound directed him. 
While I was exhorting, all at once the door opened 
and behold there he stood, with his white face looking 
in upon us. As soon as I saw the face I stopped sud- 
denly, without even waiting to say amen. 

The people were very much frightened; with throb- 
bing hearts some of them went up the log chimney, 
others broke out through the back door, while a few, 
who were more self-composed, stood their ground. 



LIFE IN HEATHSVILLE. 31 

When the master came in, he wanted to know what 
we were doing there, and asked me if I knew that it 
was against the law for niggers to hold meetings. I 
expected every moment that he would fly at me with 
his cane ; he did not, but only threatened to report me 
to my master. He soon left us to ourselves, and this 
was the last time he disturbed us in our meetings. His 
object in interrupting us was to find out whether we 
were plotting some scheme to raise an insurrection 
among the people. Before this, the white people held 
a quarterly meeting in the Fairfield Church, commenc- 
ing Saturday, and continuing eight days and nights 
without cessation. 

The religious excitement that existed at that time 
was so great that the people did not leave the church 
for their meals, but had them brought to them. There 
were many souls converted. The colored people at- 
tended every night. The white people occupied the 
part next to the altar, while the colored people took 
the part assigned them next to the door, where they 
held a protracted meeting among themselves. Some- 
times while we were praying, the white people would be 
singing, and when we were singing they would be pray 
ing ; each gave full vent to their feelings, yet there was 
no discord or interruption with the two services. On 
Wednesday night, the fourth day from the commence- 
ment of the meeting, a colored woman by the name of 
Nancy Merrill, was converted, and when she experienc- 
ed a change of heart she shouted aloud, rejoicing in 
the richness of her new found hope. Thursday night, 
the next evening, the meeting still continued. 

By this time the excitement was on the increase 



32 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

among both parties, and it bid fair to hold eight days 
longer; but right in the midst of the excitement some 
one came to the door of the church and nodded to the 
sexton to come to the door; as soon as he did go to 
the door some one there told him to speak to Nancy 
Merrill, the new convert, and tell her to come to the 
door, for he wanted to speak to her. She went, and, 
behold it was a slave trader, who had bought her dur- 
ing the day from her mistress! As soon as she went 
to the door, he seized and bound her, and then took 
her off to her cabin home to get her two boys he had 
bought also. The sexton came back and reported to 
us what had taken place. 

This thrilling and shocking news sent a sharp shiver 
through every heart; it went through the church like 
wild-fire ; it broke up the meeting entirely among both 
parties ; in less than half an hour every one left the 
church for home. This woman had a daughter in 
Fairfield, where I learned my trade, and I hastened 
home as soon as possible, to tell the girl what had 
happened to her mother. She was standing by the fire 
in the kitchen as I entered — she was the servant girl of 
John Langsdon, the man who taught me the shoe- 
maker's trade. As soon as I related to her this sad 
news she fell to the floor as though she had been shot 
by a pistol ; and, as soon as she had recovered a little 
from the shock we started for her mother's cabin home, 
reaching there just in time to see her mother and her 
two brothers take the vessel for Norfolk, to be sold. 
This was the last time we ever saw her; we heard, 
sometime afterwards, that a kind master had bought 
her, and that she was doing well. 



LIFE IN HEATHSVILLE. 33 

Many thrilling scenes I could relate, if necessary,, 
that makes my blood curdle in my veins while I write. 
We were treated like cattle, subject to the slave-hold- 
er's brutal treatment and law. 

The wretched condition of the male slave is bad 
enough ; but that of the woman, driven to unremitting, 
unrequited toil, suffering, sick, and bearing the pecu- 
liar burdens of her own sex, unpitied, not assisted, as 
well as the toils which belong to another, must arouse 
the spirit of sympathy in every heart not dead to all 
feeling. Oh ! how many heart-rending prayers I have 
heard ascend up to the throne of grace for deliverance 
from such exhibitions of barbarity. How many family 
ties have been broken by the cruel hand of slavery. 
The priceless store of pleasures, and the associations 
connected with home were unknown to the doomed 
slaves, for in an unlooked for hour they were sold to 
be separated from father and mother, brothers and 
sisters. Oh ! how many such partings have rent many 
a heart, causing it to bleed as it were, and crushing 
out all hope of ever seeing slavery abolished. 

Sometime before I left for the north, the land of 
freedom, I appointed another meeting in an off house 
on a plantation not far from Heathsville, where a num- 
ber of us collected together to sing and pray. After I 
had given out the hymn, and prayed, I commenced to 
exhort the people. While I did so I became very 
warm and zealous in the work, and perhaps made more 
noise than we were aware of. The patrolers* going 
along the road, about half a mile off, heard the sound 



* The patrolers were southern spies, sent out, or were wont to roam at night 
to hunt up run-away slaves, and to investigate other matters. 



34 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

and followed it to where we were holding our meeting. 
They came, armed to the teeth, and surrounded the 
house. The captain of the company came in, and as 
soon as we saw him we fell on our knees and prayed 
that God might deliver us. While we prayed he stood 
there in the middle of the floor, without saying a word. 
Pretty soon we saw that his knees began to tremble, 
for it was too hot for him, so he turned and went out. 
His comrades asked him if " he was going to make an 
arrest;" he said, "No, it was too hot there for him." 
They soon left, and that was the last we saw of them. 

As God had delivered us in such a powerful manner, 
we took courage and held our meeting until day-break. 
Another time I had a meeting appointed at a freed- 
woman's house, whose name was Sister Gouldman, 
about five miles in the country. I left home about 
seven o'clock on Saturday evening, and arrived there 
about ten. We immediately commenced the meeting 
and continued it till about daylight. After closing the 
meeting we slept while Sister Gouldman was preparing 
the breakfast. After breakfast we went two miles fur- 
ther, and held another meeting till late in the afternoon, 
then closed and started for home, reaching there some 
time during the night. I was very much fatigued, and 
my energies were entirely exhausted, so much so that 
I was not able to work the next day. 

The time when I was eighteen years old, when such 
a miraculous change had been wrought in my heart, I 
had had two holidays, and was up all night holding 
meetings, praying and singing most of the time. Not 
having any sleep, I could scarcely keep my eyes open 
when I went to work. While endeavoring; to finish a 



LIFE IN HEATHSVILLE. 



35 



piece of work, Mr. Lacky came and found me asleep 
while I was on my bench shoe-making. He told me 
that I had "been away enjoying myself for two days, 
and if he should come again and find me asleep, he 
would wake me up." Sure enough, he had no sooner 
left the shop when I was fast asleep again. As his 
shop was beneath mine, he could easily hear me when 
I was at work. He came up again in his stocking-feet, 
unawares, and the first thing I knew he had the raw- 
hide, applying it vigorously to my flesh in such a man- 
ner that did not feel very pleasant to me. After pun- 
ishing me. he asked me "if I thought I could keep 
awake after this." I told him "I thought possibly I 
could," and did, through a great deal of effort till 
night. I never was satisfied about that whipping. 




36 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 



CHAPTER IV. 




ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 

Change of master — Plans of escape — Fortune telling — Zip — A 
lucky man — Farewell — Beginning of the escape — A prosperous 
sail — Arrival at Frenchtown — Continuing on foot — Exhausted 
— Deserted by companions — Hesitating — Terrible fright — A 
bold resolve avid a hearty breakfast — Re-union at New Castle — 
Passage to Philadelphia — A final farewell — Trouble and anx- 
iety — A friend— Passage to New York, Hartford and Spring- 
field — A warm welcome — Dr. Osgood. 

EAR the end of the third year I went to my 
young master and told him I did not care 
about living with Mr. Lacky any longer. 
He told me that I could choose for myself another 
man whom I could live with. I concluded to live with 
one by the name of Bailey, who did not strike me dur- 
ing the year, but threatened to, which made me mad. 
About the end of this time I thought very strongly in 
reference to freedom— liberty — the precious goal which 
I almost grasped. I pursued daily my humble duties, 
waiting with patience till I could perceive some open- 
ing in the dense, dark cloud that enveloped my fate in 
the hidden future. Before I lived with Bailey, I had 
some thoughts of this. I became acquainted with a man 
by the name of Zip, who was a sailor; I told him my 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 37 

object in reference to freedom. He told me that he 
also was intending to make his escape and to have his 
freedom. This was in the year 1836. We agreed 
that whenever there was a chance we would come off 
together. About Christmas, 1837, we made an arrange- 
ment to run away. Zip was calculating to take the 
vessel that the white people had left during their ab- 
sence. He was left to take care of this vessel till they 
returned ; nevertheless he intended to use it to a good 
purpose, for he took this opportunity to make his es- 
cape. We intended to carry off seventy, but we were 
disappointed because we could not carry out our ar- 
rangements. It was a very cold Christmas Eve., so 
much so that the river was badly frozen, not making it 
favorable for us to capture her; hence we gave that 
project up until the spring of 1838. 

On the 6th day of May, 1838, Zip, with another 
one by the name of Lorenzo and myself, each hired 
a horse to take a short journey up the country to 
Lancaster, to see a sick friend of ours, who was 
very ill, for we did not expect to see him again. 
His name was Lewis Vollin. We had calculated 
to make our escape in about two weeks ; so we start- 
ed one Sabbath morning and found our friend quite 
sick, and was only able to sit up a little while and 
talk with us. Lewis' doctor was an aged colored 
man, who was a fortune-teller also, and could unfold 
the past, present, and future destiny of any one. 
Our sick friend was at this doctor's home, for the pur- 
pose of being cured by him. While there, the doctor 
asked us to walk out and look at his place ; Ave did so, 
and after a while we sat down under a large tree. The 



38 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

doctor then asked us if we would like to have our for- 
tunes told. We told him "Yes." He sent to the house 
for his cards, and after receiving "them, told each of us 
to cut them ; we did so. then he took my cut and look- 
ed it over, saying; t; you are going to run away; I see 
that you will have good luck ; you will go clear ; you 
will reach the free country in safety ; you will gather 
many friends around you, both white and colored ; 
you will be worth property, and in the course of time 
will return back home, and walk over your native land." 
I asked him " how that could be ; was I to be captured 
and brought back ?" He said " no, you will come back 
because you wish to, and go away again." I told 
him " that was something that I did not understand." 
He said " nevertheless, it is so." 

He then told the fortunes of my two companions, 
Zip and Lorenzo. He examined their cuts, and said 
they would all go clear; but never said they would re- 
turn, neither did they, for they died before freedom 
was proclaimed. Zip died at the West Indies, Lorenzo 
died on the ship in some port at the time the cholera 
broke out. 

In the afternoon we started for home, reaching there 
about four o'clock. When we reached Heathsville, 
the place where we lived, we noticed as we rode up to 
the stable to put the horses away, (for we were on 
horse-back) that there were half a dozen or more 
young men, who appeared to be talking and whittling 
behind the stable. The stable where I put my horse 
was on one side of the street, and the stable where Zip 
was to put his was on the opposite side. Zip went up 
to the door to put his horse in, but found that it would 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 39 

not open readily, and while he was trying to open it 
those white young men whom we saw whittling, sup- 
posing that he had got in, began to assemble around 
the door. Now among these young men was a negro- 
trader who spoke to Zip, asking him "why he did not 
go in and put the horse away." Zip told him that "he 
could not get the door open." The trader then took 
hold of the door and it came open immediately. Zip 
was so astonished to think that the door opened so 
readily to the negro-trader, and did not yield to him, 
that he thought there must be something wrong about 
it. He refused to go in himself, and only fastened the 
horse's bridle to a fence, then went over to the tavern 
to tell the hostler that he might put the horse away. 
From there he went to his house, for he lived there in 
town, and as soon as he entered the house his wife 
warned him to flee for his life, for a trader had bought 
him, and had been to the house with several young 
men whom we saw behind the stable as we rode up 
— placed themselves there for the purpose of waiting 
till we came. Their motive was, when Zip went into 
the stable to close the door on him and capture him. 

I knew nothing about this at the time. I put my 
horse away, went to the house, got something to eat, 
then started to go some five miles to see some friends ; 
but before I started I thought I would go into my 
shop and brush my coat ; while there I sat down on 
my bench just for a few moments, and all at once I 
fell asleep. When I awoke the sun was just going 
down. I think I had been asleep about an hour. I 
did not have any idea of falling asleep when I entered 
the shop, for I intended to have gone out of town. As 



40 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

quick as thought I jumped up, took my hat and started 
for the door ; just as I opened it there was a man pass- 
ing by whose name was Griffin Muse, who belonged 
on James Smith's plantation about two miles off. He 
saw me as I opened the door, and said to me, " Lind- 
say, where have you been ? I have been looking for 
you this two hours. I just started to go down home 
and give up the search, and to tell Zip that I could 
not find you." Said 1, " what is the matter?" Said he 
to me, " did you not know that Zip was sold to a Geor- 
gian trader, who is trying to catch him." Said I, 
"where is Zip?" I am sure I did not know any thing 
about this, I did not dream of such a thing; I saw this 
trader with some young men behind the stable, but did 
not dream that he was after Zip. Griffin Muse said to 
me, "Zip is down on our plantation, and has sent me 
after you, and that his intention is to try to make his 
escape to-night to a free country, and if you are going 
with him to go to him as soon as possible." I was so 
astonished that I did not know what to do. I told 
him to "wait for me, and I would get ready as soon as 
possible." I went a few blocks where I kept my box, 
and in it I had three dollars, all the money I possessed 
in the world. On my way back I met a man who 
owed me fifty cents ; I dunned him, and as good luck 
would have it he had the money and paid me. 

I then went back to my shop and picked up all the 
things that I thought I would want to take with me. 
While I was making my arrangements my boss came 
into the shop. As soon as I saw him coming I pushed 
my bundle under the bench and sat down on the 
bench, pretending to be sick. He asked me if I " was 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 41 

going to church ;" I told him " I thought I should not, 
for I was not feeling very well." After a while he went 
out and closed the door after him. Soon as he was 
gone I finished gathering up my things, then locked up 
the shop and went into the "great house" to put the 
key over the mantle-piece. Then Griffin Muse, Zip's 
wife and myself started for Smith's plantation, about 
two miles from Heathsville, where Zip was secreted. 

When we arrived there Zip and Lorenzo were just 
starting; it was nearly eleven o'clock; they had waited 
for me till they thought I was not coming. They were 
just bidding the folks farewell as I arrived at the house 
where Zip stopped. * Two minutes more and I would 
have been left behind. If I had not fallen asleep in 
the shop I would have been out of town, and I should 
have been left, for Griffin would not have found me ; and 
if I had slept one minute longer he would have passed 
by the shop and I would not have seen him ; one 
minute more, either way, would have turned the scales. 

All three of us, Zip, Lorenzo and myself, assembled 
together and started for the Cone River, about a quar- 
ter of a mile from where we were. There were a num- 
ber of our plantation friends who went with us ; Zip's 
wife and her mother, and a number of others. When 
we came to the river, we stood on the bank and em- 
braced, kissed, and bade each other farewell. The 
scene between Zip and his wife at parting was distress- 
ing to behold. Oh ! how the sobbing of his wife re- 
sounded in the depths of his heart ; we could not take 
her with us for the boat was too small. 



These were Zip's plantation friends that were at this cahin home. 



42 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

In the first place we took a small canoe and crossed 
the river till Ave came to a plantation owned by a man 
named Travis. He had a large sail boat that we de- 
sired to capture, but we did not know how we should 
accomplish it, as they took a great deal of pains gener- 
ally to haul her up, lock her up and put the sails and 
oars in the barn. As it was the Sabbath day, the 
young folks had been sailing about the river, and in- 
stead of securing her as they usually did, they left her 
anchored in the stream with the sails and oars all in 
the boat. This was very fortunate for us, for the 
house was very near to the shore, besides they had 
very savage dogs there. So it would have been a very 
difficult matter for us to attempt to capture the boat, 
sails and oars if they had been where they were gener- 
ally kept. So all we had to do was to run our canoe 
along side the boat and get on board. 

It was quite calm before we started, but as soon as 
we got ready, and the sails set, the wind began to rise, 
and all that night we had all the wind we could carry 
sail to. Lorenzo and myself, by keeping our oars in 
motion, outran every thing that stayed on the water. 
By the next morning we were a great distance from 
home. We sailed all day and night Monday, and until 
Tuesday night about nine o'clock, when we landed just 
below Frenchtown, Maryland. We there hauled the 
boat up the best we could, and fastened her, then took 
our bundles and started on foot. Zip, who had been a 
sailor from a boy, knew the country and understood 
where to go. He was afraid to go through French- 
town, so we took a circuitous route, until we came to 
the road that leads from Frenchtown to New Castle. 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 43 

Here I became so exhausted that I was obliged to rest; 
we went into the woods, which were near by, and laid 
down on the ground and slept for an hour or so, then 
we started r or New Castle. 

I found I could not keep up with my companions, 
for they could walk much faster than myself, and hence 
got far ahead, and then would have to wait for me; I 
being lame was not able to keep up with them. At 
last Zip said to me : "Lindsay, we shall have to leave 
you for our enemies are after us, and if we wait for you 
we shall all be taken ; so it would be better for one to 
be taken than all three.'' So after he had advised me 
what course to take they started, and in a few minutes 
left me out of sight. When I had lost sight of them I 
sat down by the road side and wept, prayed, and wish- 
ed myself back where I first started. I thought it was 
all over with me forever. I thought one while I would 
turn back as far as Frenchtown, and give myself up to 
be captured ; then I thought that would not do ; a voice 
spoke to me "not to make a fool of myself, you have 
got so far from home, (about two hundred and fifty 
miles), keep on towards freedom, and if you are taken, 
let it be heading towards freedom." I then took fresh 
courage and pressed my way onward towards the north 
with anxious heart. 

It was then two or three o'clock Wednesday morning, 
the 8th of May. I came to the portion of the road 
that had been cut through a very high hill, called the 
" deep cut," which was in a curve, or which formed a 
curve ; when I had got about mid-way of this curve I 
heard a rumbling sound that seemed to me like thunder; 
it was very dark, and I was afraid that we were to have 



44 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

a storm ; but this rumbling kept on and did not cease 
as thunder does, until at last my hair on my head be- 
cran to rise ; I thought the world was coming to the 
end. I flew around and asked myself " what is it ?" At 
last it came so near to me it seemed as if I could feel 
the earth shake from under me, till at last the engine 
came around the curve. I got sight of the fire and the 
smoke ; said I, " it's the devil, it's the devil !" It was the 
first engine I had ever seen or heard of; I did not 
know there was any thing of the kind in the world, and 
being in the night, made it seem a great deal worse 
than it was. I thought my last days had come; I shook 
from head to foot as the monster came rushing on 
towards me. The bank was very steep near where I 
was standing; a voice says to me, " fly up the bank." 
I made a desperate effort, and by the aid of the bushes 
and trees which I grasped, I reached the top of the 
bank, where there was a fence ; I rolled over the fence 
and fell to the ground, and the last words I remember 
saying were, that " the devil is about to burn me up, 
farewell ! farewell !" After uttering these words I 
fainted, or as I expressed it, I lost myself. 

I do not know how long I lay there, but when I had 
recovered, (or came to myself), the devil had gone. 
Oh ! how my heart did throb. I thought the patrollers 
were after me on horseback. After I had gathered 
strength enough I got up and sat there thinking what 
to do ; I first thought I would go off to the woods 
somewhere and hide myself till the next night, and 
then pursue my journey onward ; but then I thought 
that would not do, for my enemies, who were pursuing 
me, would overtake and capture me. So I made up 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 45 

my mind that I would not loose any more time than 
was necessary ; hence I crawled down the bank and 
started on with trembling steps, expecting every mo- 
ment that that monster would be coming back to look 
for me. 

Thus, between hope and fear, and doubt, I continued 
on foot till at last the day dawned and the sun had 
just began to rise. When the sun had risen as high as 
the tops of the trees, the monster all at once was com- 
ing back to meet me ; I said to myself, " it is no use to 
run, I had just as well stand and make the best of it," 
thinking I would make the best bargain that I could 
with his majesty. Onward he came, with smoke and 
fire flying, and as he drew near to me, I exclaimed to 
myself " why ! what a monster's head he has on to him." 
Oh ! said I, "look at his tushes,* I am a goner." I look- 
ed again, saying to myself, " look at the wagons he has 
tied to him." Thinks I, "they are the wagons that he 
carries the souls to hell with." I looked through the 
windows to see if I could see any black people that he 
was carrying, but I did not see one, nothing but white 
people. Then I thought it was not black people that 
he was after, but only the whites, and I did not care 
how many of them he took. He went by me like a 
I expected every moment that he would stop 
and bid me come aboard, (for I had been a great hand 
to abuse the old gentleman; when at home I used to 
preach against him), but he did not, so I thought that 
he was going so fast he could not stop. He was soon 
out of sight, and I for the first time took a long breath. 



* The cow-catcher in front of the engine. 



4b AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

I was very hungry, for I had not eaten any thing 
much for two days. We came away in such a hurry 
that we did not have time to prepare much food ; we 
took only some corn-cake and a little bacon ; I was 
almost starved to death ; I became quite weak, and 
looked around on the ground to see if I could find any 
thing green that I could eat. I began to fail very fast, 
I thought I should die there on the road. All at once 
I came to a house, and a voice seemed to say to me, 
"go to that house and see if you can get something to 
eat." I said to myself, " there are white people that live 
there and I shall be captured. They can but capture 
me, and if I stay away I shall die." I went up to the 
door and rapped ; a lady came to the door and looked 
at me with a smile upon her countenance as I spoke to 
her. I said to myself, " I do not mind you white 
people's smiles, I expect you think to make money off 
of me this morning." I asked her if "she would give 
me something to eat." She said " she had nothing cook- 
ed, but if I would come in she would get me something." 
I thought to myself, " I know what that means, you want 
me to come in in order to capture me ;" but neverthe- 
less I went in, and she set a chair up to the fire-place 
and bade me sit down. Her husband sat there in one 
corner, and looking up said to me : " My man, you are 
traveling early this morning," I said "yes, I made an 
early start." (I did not tell him I had been traveling 
all day and all night for three nights.) He asked me 
" how far I was going," I told him "I was going to Phila- 
delphia ; that I had some friends there whom I had not 
seen for some time, and I was going to visit them, and 
then return in a few weeks." Very soon his wife had 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 17 

my breakfast all ready of ham, eggs and a meal-cake, 
and put them on the table, and then asked me to sit 
down. I did so, without waiting for a second invita- 
tion, and the first mouthfull I took seemed to me as if 
it would go straight through me ; I ate till I became 
alarmed, for I thought I would betray myself by my 
eating. I ate up most every thing she put on the table, 
then I got up and asked " what I should pay for my 
breakfast," she said " twenty-five cents." I put my hand 
in my pocket and picked out a quarter, giving it to her> 
I started on my journey, feeling like a new man. I 
walked on till about noon, at which time I reached 
New Castle. The first one I saw was Lorenzo, who 
was one of the men who left me on the road. He came 
a little way out of the city to look for me, to see if I was 
any where in sight ; we met and went into the city, 
found Zip, and once more we were together. The boat 
left there for Philadelphia twice a day. She had left 
in the morning before they had arrived, but she re- 
turned in the afternoon, only to start right off again 
the same afternoon. 

By the time the boat had returned, I was there, so 
we three all went on board. How we ever passed 
through New Castle as we did, without being detected, 
is more than I can tell, for it was one of the worst 
slave towns in the country, and the law was such that 
no steamboat, or any thing else, could take a colored 
person to Philadelphia without first proving his or her 
freedom. What makes it so astonishing to me is, that 
we walked aboard right in sight of every body, and no 
one spoke a word to us. We went to the captain's 
office and bought our tickets, without a word being 
said to us. 



48 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

We arrived safely in Philadelphia that afternoon ; 
there upon the wharf we separated, after bidding each 
other farewell. Lorenzo and Zip went on board a ship, 
for Europe, and went to sea. I started up the street, 
not knowing where I was going, or what would become 
of me; I walked on till I came to a shoe store, went in 
and asked a white gentleman, "do you want to hire a 
shoe-maker?" He said, "I do not, but think you can 
find a place by going a little further." I proceeded a 
little further, and came to a shop kept by a colored 
man, whose name was Simpson. I went in and intro- 
duced myself to him the best I could. (I did not let 
him know that I was a fugitive.) We sat there and 
talked till most night; I then asked him if he "could 
keep me all night?" He replied "no, for it was not 
convenient for him to do so." 

Here I was, hedged in, not knowing what course to 
take ; I was down cast, and the thought of having no 
friend or shelter only sank me into deeper perplexity. 
He told me " he had a brother who lived on a certain 
street, who he thought would take me." Hearing this I 
felt somewhat encouraged, but not understanding the 
number he gave me, in order to find his brother, I was 
as badly off as before. As it was getting late he began 
to make preparation for shutting up his shop. My 
heart began to ache within me, for I was puzzled what 
to do; but just before he shut up, a colored minister 
came in ; I thought perhaps I could find a friend in 
him, and when he was through talking with Simpson 
he started to go out. I followed him to the side-walk 
and asked him " if he would be kind enough to give me 
lodging that night." He told me " he could not, for he 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. Ill 

was going to church ; that it would be late before the 
service closed, and besides it would not be convenient 
for him." 

Here the same heavy cloud closed in upon me again, 
for it was getting dark, and I had no where to sleep 
that night. Circumstances were against me ; he told 
me "I could get a lodging place if I would go to the 
tavern." I made no reply to this advice, but felt some- 
what sad, for my last hope had fled. He then asked 
me if " I was free." I told him that " I was a free man." 
(I did not intend to let him know that I was a fugitive.) 
Here I was in a great dilemma, not knowing what to 
do or say. He told me if " I was a fugitive I would find 
friends." " If any one needs a friend I do," though t I to 
myself, for just at this time I needed the consolation 
and assistance of a friend, one on whom I could rely. 
So thought I, " it will be best for me to make known 
that I am a fugitive, and not to keep it a secret any 
longer." I told him frankly that "I was from the 
South, and that I was a runaway." He said, "you 
are?" I said ''yes." He asked me "if I had told Simp- 
son ;" I said "no." He then called Simpson and asked 
him " if he knew that this brother was a fugitive ;" he 
said " no." After finding this to be a fact, Simpson ask- 
ed me if " that was so ?" I said " it was." He then told 
me to " come with him, that he had room enough for 
me." I went home with him and he introduced me to 
his family, and they all had a great time rejoicing over 
me. After giving me a good supper, they secreted me 
in' a little room called the fugitive's room, to sleep; I 
soon forgot all that occurred around me. I was rest- 
ing quietly in the arms of sleep, for I was very tired. 
4 



50 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

The next morning Simpson went in pursuit of the 
two men who had been with me, but he could not find 
them. I have never seen them since. My parting 
with them at the Philadelphia wharf was the last I 
saw of them. Simpson then went among the Aboli- 
tionists, and informed them of my case ; many of 
them came to see me. They talked of sending me to 
England; one Quaker asked me if I would like "to 
see the Queen." I told him " I did not care where I 
went so long as I was safe." They held a meeting that 
day, and decided to send me to Springfield, Mass.; this 
was the fifth day after I left home. The next day, 
Friday morning, Brother Simpson took me down to the 
steamboat and started me for New York, giving me a 
letter directed to David Ruggles, of New York. 

The nearer I came to New York the worse I felt, for 
I did not know how I should find Mr. Ruggles. Just 
as I reached the dock there was a lady whom I had 
never seen before ; I went to her and asked her " if she 
knew of such a man, by the name of David Ruggles?" 
She told me that she "did know of such a person, and 
that he lived on her way home." She kindly consented 
to show me where he lived. I went along with her 
without any more trouble in mind about it. I gave 
Ruggles the letter, and we had a great time rejoicing 
together. I staid with him till Monday. On Monday, 
the ninth day of my travels, he gave me two letters, 
one to a Mr. Foster, in Hartford ; and the other to 
Doctor Osgood, in Springfield. Mr. Ruggles sent a 
boy with me down to the steamboat, and I started for 
Hartford on a boat which sailed in the afternoon. 

Towards night I went up to the clerk's office to pay 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 51 

my fare. I asked him " how much it would be ?" He 
told me it was " three dollars." I told him " it was a large 
sum of money, more than I possessed." He then asked 
me " how much I had ?" I told him " two dollars and 
fifty-eight cents." He told me that "that would not do, 
and that I must get the rest of it." I told him " that 
I was a stranger there, and that I knew no one." He 
said: "You should have asked and found out." I 
told him " I did, and was told that the fare would be 
two dollars, and that was nearly all I possessed at 
that time." He requested me to hand it to him, 
which I did, and it robbed me of every cent I had. I 
then took my ticket and went forward and laid down 
among some bales of cotton. I was very chilly and 
cold, and I felt very much depressed in spirits and 
cast down. 

The climate had changed much since I left home, I 
was out of money and among strangers ; my heart sank 
within me, for I was faint and hungry, and had no 
means to pay for my supper. I fell asleep while lying 
among the bales of cotton. i\fter tea was over with 
the passengers, one of the waiters came and awoke me, 
and asked if "I wanted any supper?" I replied "no," 
knowing that I had no means to pay for it. Soon another 
one came and cordially invited me to partake of some, 
that it would cost me nothing. I went to the cabin, 
and had an excellent supper. The old saying proved 
true in my case, that " a friend in need is a friend in- 
deed." Before I retired for the night some one came 
through the cabin and told the way-passengers that 
they must come to the captain's office and leave the 
number of their berth before they retired for the night. 
I did not know what he meant by that saying ; 1 



52 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

thought it meant all the passengers to pay extra for 
their berths. Now, thought I, if that is the case, and 
I sleep in the berth all night, and in the morning have 
no money to pay with, I shall be in trouble sure 
enough. As I was very tired, I desired very much to 
lie down and rest ; so I thought I would risk it and lie 
down and sleep till daylight. I reached Hartford quite 
early the next morning, so I lay till I thought the boat 
was along-side the wharf; I then got up and dressed 
myself and looked at the number of my berth, as I was 
told to see what it was, so if I should meet the cap- 
tain I could tell him. I then started for the deck, and 
on reaching there I looked around, and wondered how 
I should find Mr. Foster. While I was looking, I saw 
a colored man standing, and seemed to be looking at 
me. I went up to him and asked him if " he knew a 
man by the name of Foster?" He replied: "Yes." 
I asked him if " he would show me where he lived ?" He 
said : ' ; Yes." So he went along with me, and I found 
Mr. Foster's residence by directions given ; and, find- 
ing him at home, I presented the letter. After he had 
read it, he began to congratulate me on my escape. 
When he had conversed with me awhile, he went out 
among the friends, (Abolitionists), and informed them 
of my circumstances, in order to solicit aid to forward 
me on to Springfield. 

Many of them came in to see me, and received me 
cordially ; I began to realize that I had some friends. 
I stayed with Mr. Foster till afternoon. He raised 
three dollars for my benefit and gave it to me, and then 
took me to the steamboat and started me for Spring- 
field. I reached there a little before night. 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 53 

When I had reached the wharf I stepped ashore, 
and saw a man standing on the dock ; and, after in- 
quiries concerning Doctor Osgood's residence, he 
kindly showed it to me. The Doctor, being at home, 
I gave him the letter, and as soon as he had read it, 
he and his family congratulated me on my escape from 
the hand of the oppressor. He informed me that the 
letter stated " that he could either send me to Canada, 
or he could keep me in Springfield, just as he thought 
best." He said: "I think we will keep you here, so 
you can make yourself at home." The family gath- 
ered around me to listen to my thrilling narrative of 
escape. We talked till the bell notified them that sup- 
per was ready. An excellent meal was prepared for 
me, which I accepted gladly, for the Doctor was a 
very liberal man, saying. "Friend, come in and have 
some supper." 

Wheat bread w r as the same as cake to me in those 
days, for my food at the South was principally corn- 
cake and bacon. While I was eating, his daughter 
said : " Don't be afraid, but help yourself." Not be- 
ing accustomed to eating at the "great house" at 
home, you must imagine that it produced some em- 
barassment in my mind. When the supper was over, 
the family gathered in the sitting- room for prayers, as 
it was their custom to read a portion of the Scriptures 
before retiring for the night ; and I was asked to read 
with them. Before conducting prayers the Doctor 
sang one of his favorite hymns, in which all the family 
united, I listened with pleasure, and my whole soul 
entered into the holy service. 

The next morning the Doctor asked me " how I rest- 



54 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

ed ?" I replied, "very well sir." He informed me that 
breakfast would soon be ready. It was customary for 
them to have prayers before the morning meal, which 
was something new to me ; it seemed more like a meet- 
ing to me, to attend prayers with such a pious family. 
Dr. Osgood was very benevolent, and his charitable 
deeds were many ; none were turned away hungry from 
his door. I was much impressed with his genial spirit, 
consistent and zealous piety, and activity in the cause 
of Christ. His life was upright, pure, and good, and 
his Christian faith unfaltering. None in want ever ap- 
pealed to him in vain. Truly that passage of Scripture 
can be applied to him: "For I was an hungered and 
ye gave me meat : I was thirsty and ye gave me drink : 
I was a stranger and ye took me in : Naked and ye 
clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in 
prison and ye came unto me." "Verily I say unto 
you inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least 
of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." 

Rev. Dr. Osgood who " always abounded in the 
works of the Lord," was in the habit of rising very 
early, and held prayer meetings twice a week, from five 
to six o'clock in the morning. The young and the 
aged gathered at the chapel, which was half-a-mile 
from the Doctor's residence. The day laborers who 
"earned their bread by the sweat of their brow," at- 
tended before going to work ; also, the wealthy were 
there, and it was an hour of refreshing to many souls. 
The invigorating air of the early morning seemed to 
make the conference room a fitting place for the holy 
spirit. 



ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY. 



• ).) 



The opening hymn was most generally sun-, begin- 
ning thus : 

■ " Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear 
My voice ascending high : 
To Thee will I direct my prayer, 
To Thee lift up mine eye. 

" Up to the hills where Christ is gone, 

To plead for all His saints, 
Presenting at His Father's throne 

Our songs and our complaints." 
* * * * * * * 

Which echoed beautifully as the birds sang in the 
spring their sweetest carols, as they flew among the 
branches of the large elm tree which stood before the 
door of the chapel. All were very devotional, unlike 
as it is with us, for every one bowed the head in silent 
prayer as they entered the house of God, and really 
it did seem like a heaven below. 

Dr. Osgood was pastor over a large congregation. 
His church was a large, white Presbyterian church, on a 
beautiful green lawn not far from the chapel. The early 
morning services resulted in a large revival, in which 
one hundred came out on the Lord's side, rejoicing in 
their new-found hopes. All were made welcome, and 
Christian fellowship was truly exhibited towards all. 




56 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 



CHAPTER V. 



LIFE IN FREEDOM. 

Employment in a shoe shop — Education at Wilbraham — Licensed 
to preach — John M. Brown — Mrs. Cecelia Piatt — Elizabeth 
Osgood — Sabbath and Mission Schools — Return to Springfield — 
Engagement with Dr. Hudson — Experience at Saybrook — Per- 
secutions of Abolitionists — Lecturing — Courtship and marriage. 




R. OSGOOD felt an interest in my safety, for 
my master was on my track, and had adver- 
tised me through the press, trying every 
means to get me, if possible. The Doctor secreted me 
in a little room, called the fugitive's room. As I was 
secreted, all schemes to capture were baffled. 

After keeping me for a while, the Doctor endeavored 
to find employment for me as a shoe maker. He went 
to several persons, but found none that would take me. 
Finally, for safety — and the last resort — he went to see 
Mr. Elmore, an Abolitionist, who was a wholesale 
shoe dealer on Main Street. He readily took me, say- 
ing : "Bring him to me, I want to see him." 1 went 
to him one night with the Doctor, and he made a bar- 
gain with me, and also gave me some work to do in his 
work-shop, secreted from public gaze. It was the first 
work I had ever done in the like of a freedman, which 
gave me strength to think 1 was a man with others. 



LIFE IN FREEDOM. 57 

I stayed with him one year, and during that year, 
besides clothing myself and paying my board, I saved 
one hundred and thirty dollars. I soon became a 
great favorite with all the hands in the shop. I well 
knew a man in Springfield who commenced with only 
six cents in his pocket — for he was once a poor ap- 
prentice boy — who, in the course of time, became a 
wealthy man, which gave me great encouragement to 
save my earnings. 

As I never had had any advantages for obtaining an 
education, I felt the importance of it at this time. I 
made known my desire to Mr. Elmore, who said it was 
a good project, and advised me to attend school by all 
means. The old saying is, " it is money that makes 
the wheels turn, but after all, education moves the lo- 
comotive." I then made preparation to attend school at 
Wilbraham, Mass. After I had been there a while I 
became quite proficient in my studies, especially in 
mathematics, it being my favorite study. At first I 
found it difficult to keep up with the course of study; 
I overcame it, however, and progressed so rapidly that 
the students and the faculty of the academy gave me 
great praise. I remained two or three years. As I 
was a poor student, I worked at my trade to pay my 
board and tuition. So many hours were given me for 
work, and so many for study ; and thus I kept myself 
busily employed while at Wilbraham. 

The reason I attended school there was because it 
was a more retired place forme. I was very ambitious 
to learn, for I knew I would be better qualified to enter 
into business for myself, which I had some thoughts of 
doing then. While I was at Wilbraham I was licensed 



58 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

to preach the Gospel ; I held meetings in Springfield 
and Ludlow, and the Lord blessed me in my endeav- 
ors. I had a fellow-student who occupied the same 
room with me. This chum of mine was a young man 
from Philadelphia, by the name of* John M. Brown, 
who was then preparing for college. After completing 
the academical course, he attended Oberlin College, and 
graduated with honors, and then became professor of 
Wilberforce College for young men. He expressed a 
strong desire for me to finish my education at Oberlin, 
but, not having sufficient means to pay my expenses, 
I did not go. 

As we were firm friends, it was sorrowful for us to 
part, as I found much pleasure in his company. We 
walked together, spent our hours of recreation together, 
conversed on themes that interested us the most while 
we were students at Wilbraham. 

In the course of some years he was chosen Presiding 
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Churches of color. 
While at Wilbraham Mr. Brown and myself held a 
series of meetings in Springfield, at the house of a Mrs. 
Cecelia Piatt, for the colored people had no church of 
their own at this time to worship in. Mrs. Piatt was a 
devoted Christian, of many remarkable characteristics* 
and zealous in the works of the Lord. She long since 
has been summoned to meet her reward ; she died in 
the triumph of faith. Her house was the welcome 
home of strangers and friends, whom she always made 
happy and comfortable. Her home was called the 
" pastors' home," for they were always made welcome 
whenever they came. Some of the students, those 
studying for the ministry, would come in from Wilbra- 



LIFE IN FREEDOM. 59 

ham on Saturdays, and stop at the home of Mrs. Piatt, 
in case of a storm, or being fatigued by the journey, 
and return on Monday morning. She" was very chari- 
table to the needy ; as a Christian, very few were her 
equal. It was there where the first preaching service 
was held, and the first Sabbath School began. In re- 
ferring to the Sabbath School, I must acknowledge that 
those who were engaged in this great work were ardent 
and active workers, for there were no timid drones. 

Mrs. Stebbins — better known as the teacher among 
the freedmen in the barracks in Washington has since 
gone to rest from her labors ; peacefully fell asleep in 
Jesus — was one of the most faithful co-workers of this 
institution. 

Miss Elizabeth Osgood, the daughter of Dr. Osgood, 
was very enthusiastic in this mission ; her deeds at- 
tracted more than a passing notice, and through her 
instrumentality many poor children were clothed so as 
to be presentable for the Sabbath School. She went 
out into the highways and hedges and gathered them 
in with their tattered garments, with the promise of a 
new suit of clothes; and thus many a little heart was 
made glad. 

Miss Osgood was then a member of the Wasbing- 
tonian Society. The object of this society was for the 
benefit of the poor. Useful articles of all kinds of 
wearing apparel were made for the needy. 

We now turn our thoughts to the Sabbath School. 
In establishing the school the co-workers took pains, 
in the course of the week, to notify all the children of 
the neighborhood, and went out into the lanes and 
hedges, urging them to come into the proposed school. 



60 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

They were taught Bible truths, thus preparing them for 
future usefulness. Many of the scholars were newly 
impressed with something that would go with them 
through the week, and restrain them from sin ; also, 
keeping them in the fear of God. The influence of 
the Sunday School was felt in the community. The 
scholars became interested in the lessons, and loved 
and respected their instructors. Through the aid of 
the Presbyterians this school was organized ; and, 
opening with five scholars, the number increased to 
twenty, and then to one hundred. A small library was 
procured. A lady aged ninety years, who attended 
the school, learned to read the Bible, and the perusal 
of its sacred pages was a great comfort to her. 

After a while, when the school was fully established, 
we opened a class-meeting, and the parents of the 
children, and other adults, began to flock to the house 
of prayer. They came from all quarters to enjoy one 
another's experiences, feeling it was good for them to 
be there. As the people came in such numbers, there 
was not sufficient room in Mrs. Piatt's home for the 
convenience of the people. We found it necessary to 
build a chapel near by, and accomplished it within a 
year's time. It was plainly built, only for temporary 
use, till we could do better. Before entering it, how- 
ever, a large revival broke out, which resulted in the 
conversion of souls. 

During the revival I generally made it a point to come 
in from Wilbraham — a distance of nine miles— Saturday 
afternoons for the purpose of assisting in the meetings 
on the Sabbath. Occasionally the white students of 
Wilbraham Academy would favor me with a pleasant 
drive in a buggy. Those who had relatives in Spring- 



LIFE IN FREEDOM. (jl 

field often visited them on Saturday. They came to 
our quarterly and revival meetings, and seemed to take 
quite an interest in them. They were very enthusias- 
tic, and helped us, by their remarks and testimonies, 
making the meetings a power for good. Many of the 
faithful, who sustained these meetings, have long ago 
been called to the great " Harvest Home," where, I 
doubt not, there will be gathered many rich and pre- 
cious sheaves. 

At this time the colored ladies of the chapel re- 
solved to organize a Sewing Society, which con- 
sisted of a President, Vice President, Secretary and 
Treasurer. There was also a committee of ladies who 
went around to solicit funds to carry out their plans. 
They had no regular sewing room, but went around 
from house to house. 

After accumulating thirty or forty dollars' worth of 
sewing, they opened a fair in Masonic Hall ; the pro- 
ceeds were used towards building a more commodious 
church for worship. A fair audience attended. The 
hall was profusely trimmed with evergreens, and th 
galleries with floral wreaths, intermingled with ever 
greens, and flags placed at different points. Certain 
parts of the hall were devoted to the sale of useful arti- 
cles, which had been generously donated to the ladies 
by the merchants. There were fancy articles of all 
descriptions, and the needle-work was finely executed. 
The ice-cream, lemonade and pastry were served by 
competent ladies, who received a liberal patronage. 
The ladies labored arduously to make the fair a suc- 
cess, and their untiring efforts were well rewarded. 
The committee received, from time to time, sums of 



62 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

money from benevolent persons to encourage them in 
the great work they had undertaken. God prospered 
them, and in the course of a few years a Methodist 
Church was built on Main Street. Now they have two 
churches ; the second church is on Elm Street. 

Many changes have taken place in Springfield ; the 
house where we held our first meeting has long since 
been completely demolished, and given place to rail- 
road tracks, on which street cars and omnibusses run. 
In going to Chicopee it looks like a level plain as far 
as the eye can reach. This village is now a part of 
Springfield, making it a city of many manufacturing 
resources, and in consequence is a thrifty and enter- 
prising city. So time changes all things. 

Finally I left school and returned to Springfield. I 
became acquainted with Dr. Hudson, an Abolitionist 
of great note in those days, who was an anti-slavery 
lecturer. It was no small thing to be a worker in such 
a cause. The Doctor engaged me to travel with him 
for one year. I, according to agreement, accompanied 
him, for I desired to do all the good I could. We had 
great success in our mission ; we traveled all through 
the eastern and western part of Connecticut, and a part 
of Massachusetts. We had some opposition to contend 
with. It made it much better for the Doctor in having 
me with him. Brickbats and rotten eggs were very 
common in those days ; an anti-slavery lecturer was 
often showered by them. Slavery at this time had a 
great many friends. 

When we were in Saybrook there was but one Abo- 
litionist in the place, and whose wife was sick. As we 
could not be accommodated at his house, we stopped 



LIFE IN FREEDOM. 63 

at a tavern ; the inmates were very bitter toward us, 
and more especially to the Doctor. I became much 
alarmed about my own situation. There was an old sea 
captain who was there that night, and while in conver- 
sation with the Doctor, had some very hard talk, which 
resulted in a dispute, or contest in words ; I thought it 
would terminate in a fight. The captain asked the 
Doctor, "What do you know about slavery? All you 
know about it I suppose, is what this fellow (meaning 
me) has told you, and if I knew who his master was, and 
where he was, I would write to him to come on and 
take him." This frightened me very much. I whisper- 
ed to the Doctor that we had better retire for the night. 
We went to our rooms. I feared I should be taken out 
of my room before morning, so I barred my door with 
chairs and other furniture that was in the room, before 
I went to bed. Notwithstanding, I did not sleep much 
that night. When we had arisen the next morning and 
dressed ourselves, we went down stairs, but did not 
stay to breakfast; we took our breakfast at the house 
of the man whose wife was sick. We gave out notice, 
by hand-bills, that we would lecture in the afternoon ; 
so we made preparation, and went at the time appoint- 
ed. The hall was filled to its utmost capacity, but we 
could not do much, owing to the pressure that was so 
strong against us: hence we had no success in this 
place. We went to the tavern and stayed that night. 
The next morning we went about two miles from this 
place to the township, and stopped at the house of a 
friend ; one of the same persuasion. He went to the 
school committee, and got the use of the school-house. 
We gave out notice that there would be an anti-slavery 



64 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

lecture in the school-house that night. When it was 
most time for us, word came that we could not have 
the school-house for the purpose of such a lecture. 

We thought that we would not be out-done by ob- 
stacles. The man at whose house we were stopping cor- 
dially told us that we might have the use of his house ; 
so we changed the place of the lecture from the school- 
house to his house. The house was full ; and we had, 
as we thought, a good meeting. At the close of the 
lecture the people retired for home. After a while we 
retired for the evening, feeling that we had the victory. 

The next morning the Doctor went to the barn to 
feed his horse, and found that some one had entered 
the barn and shaved his horse's mane and tail close to 
the skin ; and, besides, had cut our buffalo robe all in 
pieces ; besides shaving the horse, the villains had cut 
his ears off. It was the most distressed looking animal 
you ever saw, and was indeed to be pitied. The Dr. 
gathered up the fragments of the buffalo robe and 
brought them to the house ; it was a sight to behold ! 

We intended to have left that day, but we changed 
our minds and stayed over another night, and held 
another meeting. The house was crowded to excess 
that evening. At the close of the service the Doctor 
told how some one had shaved and cut his horse, and 
brought out the cut robe and held it up before the 
people, saying : " This is the way the friends of slavery 
have treated me. Those who have done it are known, 
but I shall not hurt a hair of their heads. I hope the 
Lord may forgive them." The people seemed to 
feel very badly about it. 

We left the next day for another place ; the name I 



LIFE IX FREEDOM. 65 

cannot recall now. We had better success when we 
went to Torringford, for here the people had just 
passed through a terrible mob, on account of an anti- 
slavery lecturer. The mob broke the windows of the 
church, and the lecturer had to escape for his life. 
We arrived here on Saturday, and put up with one of 
the deacons of the church. The next morning, after 
breakfast, he harnessed up his horse and sleigh, (for it 
was winter), and he and his family and I drove off to 
the church. Every eye was upon me. The deacon 
said to me : " Follow me, and sit with me in my pew." 
I did so, and every eye was fixed upon me, I being a 
colored man ; and, being seated in a deacon's pew, 
caused quite a stir or bustle among the worshipers. 
There was such a commotion that the minister could 
hardly preach. 

At the close of the service one of the other deacons 
came to the one that I was with, and seemed to be 
much excited. My friend asked him : " What is the 
matter, you appear to be mad ?" " No," says he, "I 
am not mad, but grieved to think that you have taken 
that nigger into the pew with you ; I think you had 
better promote your own niggers instead of strangers." 
My friend told him that " the pew was his ; that he had 
paid for it, and that he had the right to have any one 
sit with him whom he chose ; and that he did not 
think that it was any body's business." When the con- 
troversy was over we went home and ate dinner. 

In the afternoon we started for the church again, and 

after arriving there I took my seat with the deacon ; it 

did not affect the worshipers so much this time as it did 

in the morning. After the meeting closed we started 

5 



66 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

for home, and ate our supper ; and in the evening the 
Doctor and I intended to have the church for our lec- 
ture. 

On arriving there, Oh ! such a crowd met us at the 
door that we could hardly get in. Through persever- 
ance we made our way to the pulpit and took our seats. 
Some of the men who were engaged in the mob a few 
months before came and took the front seats, and 
looked as though they could devour us. I did not 
know what would become of us that night. 

We began our meeting. The Doctor spoke first. 
They did not intend to have him speak, (being a white 
man), for the men were desirous to hear me ; they kept 
quiet, however, for the sake of hearing me. When the 
Doctor was through I took the stand, and before I had 
finished my talk took all the fight out of them ; some 
of them wept like children ; so you see that it changed 
those men's hearts towards us, for a sympathetic feel- 
ing seemed to pervade through their hearts. I made 
many friends for myself that night. I heard one of 
them say that " if my master came there after me he 
would fight for me as long as he had a drop of blood 
in him." There were no more mobs in Torringford 
after that. 

We then started for other parts of the State, and the 
work of the Lord prospered in our hands. I went back 
to Wilbraham and lectured in the hall to a large 
audience ; and from there I went to South Wilbraham, 
and spoke in the M. E. Church to a full house. Many 
that heard of the sufferings of the poor slave wept like 
children ; many turned from slavery to anti-slavery. 
I went from South Wilbraham to Boston, and spoke in 



LIFE IN FREEDOM. 67 

the Spring Street Church before a large assembly. 1 
spoke in Worcester, and many left the slavery ranks 
and joined the anti-slavery. I have spoken in some 
places in Connecticut where the people have acted as 
though they had never seen a colored man before ; they 
would shake hands with me and then look at their 
hands to see if I had left any black on them. I met 
with success every where I went ; I traveled all the 
winter of 1842 with the Doctor, and in the spring fol- 
lowing I left him and returned to Springfield, to re- 
sume my trade again, (boot and shoe-making), and 
worked a few months. 

During my first year with Mr. Elmore I formed an 
acquaintance with a young lady, Miss Emeline Minerva 
Piatt, who was visiting one fourth of July a friend of 
mine, at whose home I boarded for a time. At this 
time I had made up my mind to settle North, and had 
given up all idea of ever visiting my Southern friends. 
As I had often seen this lady, in company with other 
friends, I thought it would be a good opportunity, on 
this occasion, to offer my hand in marriage. 

Four years from my first acquaintance, in the spring 
of 1842, we were married. I have three daughters 
and one son. 



-*£•< 



68 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 



CHAPTER VI. 




LIFE IN NORWICH, CONN. 

Came to Norwich — Started business — Purchase a house — Perse- 
cutions and difficulties— Ministerial labors — Church troubles — 
Formation of a new Methodist Church — Retiring from minis- 
terial work — Amos B. Herring — Mary Humphreys — Sketches 
of life and customs in Africa. 

N coming to Norwich, Conn., in 1842, I took 
a shop on Main Street, near where Perkins 
Block now stands ; here I remained one 
year. The next year, 1843, I moved across Franklin 
Square, in the rear of Chapman's Block, the place now 
occupied by R. R. Armstrong as a fish-market ; here I 
remained till I was burned out. This shop contained 
a side-room, which was occupied by John Wells, who 
hired it of me, and was employed as a boot-black. On 
the night of the fire he was asleep in his room, and 
came very near loosing his life; by breaking his door 
open he was rescued from the burning flames. This 
shop was burned to the ground. I then moved to a 
shop on Shetucket Street, and from here to a shop in 
Chapman's Block, where I remained for a number of 
vears. I then secured a shop on Bath Street, where I 
am located at the present time. 



LIFE IN NORWICH, CONN. 69 

In first coming to Norwich, I established myself in 

business with a full line of customers. I then looked 
about for a tenement to live in and succeeded in find 
ing one, through a friend, on Franklin Street, and then 
I returned to Massachusetts for my wife, who came in 
[une. After living two years and-a-half on this street. 
I moved to a tenement on School Street, where 1 re- 
mained one year. The next year I had accumulated 
money enough to pay one-half for a frame house — only 
a few steps from where I then lived — before taking 
possession of it. Three years from this time I paid 
off all the mortgage on the house ; then I truly felt that 
it was my own, since through my energy and toil I had 
gained it. 

In establishing myself in business, Mr. Gurdon A. 
Jones, a wholesale shoe dealer, patronized me by giving 
me his custom work. He was the first shoe dealer who 
gave me work, and thus greatly assisted me towards 
my accumulations. 

As the years rolled on my family began to increase 
so that I deemed it necessary to procure a larger 
house. Having made several attempts, I bought a 
desirable one on Oak Street. After a struggle of a few 
years we moved into our new home. Reader, you 
must not think that I obtained it without any trouble. 
Ah ! no ; it was under difficulties ; I had many a heart 
ache ; I was persecuted on every hand for getting a 
home. While many would be encouraged for their in- 
dustry and toil, my people are subject to all sorts of 
abuse for buying desirable homes for their families. 

We were in Norwich when colored young men were 
not allowed to attend the High School that was kept 



70 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

for young men on School Street. A promising young 
man of color applied for admission, and was promptly 
rejected. It is owing to being deprived of the chance 
to acquire an education that many of the old inhabi- 
tants, and the young, are ignorant to-day. 

We were waiting with anxious expectation for the day 
to dawn, to enjoy all our privileges and equal rights as 
citizens. We have waded through many trials, and 
suffered every thing but death itself, in endeavoring to 
educate our children ; many a time they have been to 
school with a heavy heart while trying to solve some 
problem or translation. Oh ! how my heart went out 
for them ; they were not easily daunted, for they were 
filled with enthusiastic ardor ; they shrank from no 
obstacles. The old saying is, " the darkest hour is just 
before dawn." 

My two daughters, Louie Amelia Smith, and Emma 
J. I. Smith, after completing, the former a classical and 
the latter an English course at the Norwich Free 
Academy, in Norwich, graduated from that institution, 
and thus qualified themselves for future usefulness. 
They have proved very successful as teachers in Wash- 
ington, D. C. My eldest daughter, Sarah Ann Smith, 
a graduate from the Normal Grammar School, is living 
at home and making herself useful. My son, James 
H. Smith, follows the trade of his father. 

The first commencement of my ministerial labors, 
after I came to Norwich, was in a Union Church on 
Allen Street. There were two colored denominations 
which worshiped in this church — the Methodists and 
Presbyterians ; both societies had a share in this 
church. The agreement was that each denomination 



LIFE IN NORWICH, CONN. 71 

were to take their turns in leading the meetings. The 
Methodists were very anxious to have me preach for 
them, and the Presbyterians desired a pastor of their 
own persuasion. The upper part of the church was 
used for the Sabbath school, and the basement for the 
preaching services. The reason for this was, because 
the regular audience room was not finished. The stove 
was moved to either part of the house, to suit their 
convenience. Prayer and class meetings were often 
held during the week at private houses. The Meth- 
odists were very zealous, and generally conducted the 
services on the Sabbath that the Presbyterians right- 
fully claimed. This caused a strife among them, and 
then a controversy arose with reference to the two 
ministers. 

One evening while I was preaching, a red hot stove 
was carried out from the upper part of the church into 
the street by the opposite party ; when the heat had 
abated somewhat, they carried it into the basement. 
The lights were put out, leaving me in total darkness. 
The meeting got fairly beyond control ; the seats and 
floor were well besmeared with oil. More lamps were 
procured from the neighboring houses, and I continu- 
ed the services till we were completely frozen out, and 
were obliged to close before the usual time. The 
other party continued till after nine o'clock. 

The two societies never became reconciled to each 
other, and consequently there was a split in the church. 
The Presbyterians stayed at their post, while the 
Methodists went off by themselves, and gave up all 
they had put in the church to the Presbyterians. To 
keep themselves together, they held meetings at private 



72 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

houses, of great spiritual power. This separation weak- 
ened the Presbyterians somewhat, and they disbanded 
soon after, as the Methodists formed the larger part of 
the congregation. Prior to this a singing school was 
opened, and they made a vast improvement in the 
singing. Thus was the beginning of my first trials in 
the ministry. 

The Methodists, after awhile, bought a building lot 
in the rear of Franklin Street, of William Prentice, 
for which they paid him two hundred dollars. Rev. 
Leaven Tilman came to Norwich to aid us in organiz- 
ing a Methodist Church, as it was his business to or- 
ganize churches wherever they were needed. He went 
around to solicit funds for that purpose, and was very 
zealous in the work. Myself and others, with his aid, 
solicited funds for purchasing the ground, and for the 
building. After the house was completed it was dedi- 
cated to the Lord. At the dedication, Bishop Quinn, 
Bishop Clark, Rev. H. J. Johnson, and others, were 
present and conducted the services. 

We opened a Sabbath school and were prospered in 
our good work ; we formed a bible-class, and opened 
a singing school. The bible-class consisted of young 
men who had formed themselves into a club called the 
" Young Men's Christian Association." Every Sabbath 
they were found in their places, and the class was in a 
flourishing condition. 

The church was under the supervision of our New 
England Conference, which supplied us with ministers. 
I preached for the people of this parish for twenty 
years. We experienced many refreshing seasons ; death 
invaded our ranks, calling out some very faithful and 



LIFE IN NORWICH, CONN. 73 

efficient helpers. The Sabbath school was broken up 
on account of the death of its prominent leaders. 

At the time of the great rebellion the young men of the 
church disbanded and responded readily to their coun- 
try's call. Although there were many obstacles to re- 
tard the progress of the church, yet there were a few 
who held on and hoped for better days. I was ordain- 
ed Deacon, at the New England Conference, and after 
being with them four years, they appointed me Local 
Deacon. During my whole ministry in the church. 1 
had no regular salary ; I worked at my trade to sup- 
port myself and family. I was compelled, by growing 
infirmities to retire from my pastoral labors, feeling 
that the days of my actual usefulness were almost over. 
The house of worship became so dilapidated as the 
years rolled on that we sold it, and it passed into other 
hands. 

After Mr. Gurdon A. Jones' decease, the well-known 
firms of E. G. Bidwell, J. H. Kelley, and J. F. Cos- 
grove employed me for years to do their custom work, 
which was quite a pecuniary assistance and help to me. 

During my stay in Springfield, Mass., I became ac- 
quainted with a man by the name of Amos B. Her- 
ring, a native of Africa. It seems he had been on to 
Springfield once before, but, not having finished his 
education, he had returned to complete his course at 
Wilbraham Academy. He was a widower with six 
boys, the two eldest of whom he had left in Paris, to be 
educated, while he had come here. His wife had 
been dead four years; so he left his beautifully fur- 
nished house in Monrovia in charge of a housekeeper, 
paying her a dollar a month— just here you will see how 



74 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMI 'I 11. 

low wages were in Africa. He told me every thing was 
nearly as cheap as could he. He had not been in 
Springfield long before he became acquainted with a 
Mrs. Lucy Terret, of Washington, D. C. They mar- 
ried ; but upon his returning to Africa his wife did not 
long survive. She had made a great many friends 
during her stay in Springfield, and when he wrote back 
that his wife was dead we could not but regret that she 
had ever left us. Soon after her arrival in Monrovia 
she was attacked with a fever, from which she died. 
She was very fond of the tropical fruit which abound- 
ed, such as bananas, bread-fruit and dates, and had 
been cautioned about eating it before she was fully 
acclimated. At one time it was thought she would 
live through the attack, but she insisted on tasting 
the fruit, which she appeared to enjoy better than 
any thing else. A daughter by a former marriage — a 
sweet and attractive child — also found a grave in a 
foreign land. 

Another friend of mine. Miss Mary Humphreys, also 
went to Africa as a missionary, and established a 
school in Monrovia. Her sole object in going was to 
do all the good she could in the way of enlightening 
her people. Soon she was smitten down with the 
African fever. So we see it is almost impossible for 
persons from this country to live in that climate. 
Very few survive the fever, and the fever they must 
have. I remember when there was so much talk about 
emigrating to Liberia that quite a number of my peo- 
ple embarked for the foreign land. Accounts after- 
wards showed that most of them died, if not on ship- 
board, soon after they reached shore. 



LIFE IN NORWICH, CONN. 7-") 

Mr. Herring and myself often enjoyed many pleas- 
ant conversations. I used to love to hear him tell of 
Africa I had read so much about. He said that Mon- 
rovia was quite a thriving town then, and a great spec- 
ulative mart for merchants of all nations. Many of the 
merchants who live there can not own lands, but can 
hire them. In passing the king, the white man is 
obliged to take off his hat. It is necessary in present- 
ing yourself before a chief or king, to carry a lot of 
presents to insure a welcome, notwithstanding they 
may not be of very great value ; but they must be 
showy, such as bright colored shirts, and red cloth 
which is worn to adorn the breast pocket. Only a 
few of the Africans are able to wear stripes of red 
cloth. Some are clad entirely in shirts made of leather, 
which they skillfully prepare. I was quite amused at 
his account of a chief who consumed daily a sheep 
and the milk of seven cows. 

The king partook of a kind of macaroni, prepared 
from wheat, with a rich seasoning of batter; while the 
natives ate apples pounded up and simmered down, in 
the place of real butter, which they considered very 
good. The natives burnt a kind of brush to keep the 
panthers and hyenas away, which abounded in large 
numbers. 

In speaking of Africa I would say that slavery still 
exists there. Slave ships are traveling to and fro from 
Africa to many of our foreign ports laden with slaves. 
We look forward to the day when Africa shall be free, 
and my people shall have that liberty that rightfully 
belongs to them. Many missionaries have gone out 
there to enlighten and teach the natives the " Good 



76 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

Way ;" but after awhile we find most of them more in- 
terested in the gold and silver than in the civilization 
of the people. 

In referring to the chief who consumed a sheep 
every day, you must not think this species were as large 
as the American sheep. These animals were not fat- 
tened like the sheep among us. They were very lean, 
and scarcely any fat on their ribs. They resided in 
the dense forests, and sought their own food, and sub- 
sisted on all kinds of nuts, tropical fruits, or any thing 
they could find to eat. They inhabited the interior 
of Western Africa, and other parts of the country. 
The cows, also, for the want of care and green pasture 
fields to feed in, were not as large in size as those in 
America; and. for this reason, they gave a small sup- 
ply of milk daily. It required a supply of milk from 
seven cows in order to obtain milk enough for the 
chief. 



THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 7 i 



CHAPTER VII. 




THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 

Desire to return to Virginia— Opening of the War— Disdain of 
the aid of colored men— Defeat— Progress of the War— Em- 
ploying colored men— Emancipation Proclamation— Celebra- 
tion— Patriotism of Colored Soldiers— Bravery at Port Hudson 
—Close of the War— Death of Lincoln— A tribute to Senator 
Sumner- Passage of the Civil Rights Bill-Our Standard 
Bearers. 

OR many years, while slavery existed, I have 
never ceased to pray that God, in his all wise 
providence would bring it to pass that I 
might return to the land that gave me birth, and see 
my former friends. As the signs of the times looked 
dark and doubtful, I began to think I should never 
realize such a blessing; but time passed on, and with 
it the rebellion increased in strength, war rumors were 
afloat, and the very air seemed to bespeak war. God 
gave us war signs which spoke of the dissolution of the 
Union. Some said in case of a war between the North 
and South, that it would result in the liberation of the 
slave. I said it would be too good a blessing to be true, 
"not dreaming that such a course would lead to it ; not 
knowing which way the scales would turn. We all 
know the immediate cause of the rebellion. The North 



78 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

and South were at length arrayed against each other 
in two great political parties on the question of slavery. 
The Northern party triumphed, and though no unlaw- 
ful act was charged against it, and no simulated claim 
or assumption offered that it had not succeeded in a 
lawful and constitutional way, the defeated Southern 
party refused to accept the decision of the ballot box, 
and rushing into open revolt proceeded to organize a 
government of its own. Not being satisfied in what 
they already possessed they craved for more territory, 
and fired on Fort Sumter for that purpose in the 
spring of 1861, little dreaming that they themselves 
were destroying their beloved institution. 

The first sound of the cannon that saluted the ears 
of Major Anderson, and his starving garrison, was the 
death knell of slavery. The heart of the nation beat 
in unison ; every telegraph wire vibrated with the news, 
" Sumpter has fallen." The news spread like the flash 
of lightning through the country; it united the people 
and aroused the nation to a sense of its duty: the 
proud sons of America responded as one to the call of 
their country. It was then this war began in which 
we have all had to take our part. When President 
Lincoln called for men to defend the country, the call 
was for white men. Our martyred President, proud in 
the strength of his high position said, " the Union must 
be saved with slavery, if it can, without it, if it must." 
Did he forget that at the great wheel of state there was 
a guiding hand, stronger and mightier, and more just 
than his ? Truly, " God moves in a mysterious way 
His wonders to perform." 

At the beginning of the war, few anticipated the 



THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 79 

great and important changes so soon to be wrought by 
.it. To the observing eye the hand of God has been 
seen in the war ; seen in the overthrow of the proud, 
and uplifting of the lowly ; seen in the fall of the task- 
master and the emancipation of the slave. Many 
fought for the liberation of the colored man, although 
they hated him. How well do I remember the time 
when our Northern army undertook to go into battle 
at Bull Run. The Northerners, corrupted by unex- 
ampled prosperity, and forgetful of the traditions of 
their forefathers, the vital and animating . principles 
underlying the very foundations of this government, 
severed their course from the cause of liberty and 
every hope by which the black man might take 
courage, proclaiming it to be the white man's war 
exclusively. The Northerners, eager for glory and 
greedy for honor in that eventful hour disdained the 
proffered service of the colored man, and would not 
even permit him to drive a wagon in train of their 
army ; and even more, would not allow him to wear 
the cast-off clothing of their soldiers for fear the im- 
perial blue of this great republic would be dishonored 
by them, and perverted from a sacred purpose. 

Under such circumstances, the Northern troops, filled 
with pride and haughtiness, promptly responding to the 
call, "On to Richmond," moved in military order to 
plant their standard on the walls of Richmond. Not a 
military instrument of music, or drum cheered the 
march ; the deep silence broken only by the muffled 
tread of the advancing host, or the heavy rumbling of 
the artillery carriages. On their march they were con- 
fronted at Bull Run hy an army animated by a sterner 



80 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

and more determined will. The rising sun of the ever 
memorable 21st of July, 1861, beheld the Union troops 
in "' war's bright and stern array ;" their polished arms 
shone in the morning's light, and their silken banners 
glittering in the sun. The long line of bayonets flash- 
ing in the sunbeams, extended rows of army wagons 
with their white tops, winding columns of cavalry, the 
dark looking ambulances, all combined to form a scene 
of thrilling interest, and presented a magnificent spec- 
tacle. 

But the parting rays of that same sun looked down 
on defeated, routed and disgraced men ; their bright 
arms thrown away, and their silken banners were taken 
by the exulting Rebels as trophies of war, or trailed in 
the dust. Then, forgetful of all their proud boastings, 
our Northern troops made a hasty retreat towards 
Washington. The panic was disgraceful in the ex- 
treme ; for miles the road was black with men running 
in all directions. Hosts of Federal troops, some sepa- 
rated from their regiments, were fleeing along the road 
and through the fields, all mingled in one disorderly 
route. Horses galloped at random, riderless from the 
battle-field, many of them in the agonies of death 
swelling the wild commotion. Then the heavy artil- 
lery, such as was not destroyed, came thundering along, 
overturning and smashing every thing in its passage. 
Hacks conveying spectators from the battle-field were 
completely smashed, leaving the occupants to the mercy 
of the way. Sutler's teams, carriages and army wagons 
blockaded the passage way, and fell against each other 
amidst the dense cloud of dust. Men lying seriously 
wounded along the banks entreated, with raised hands, 



THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 81 

those on horse-back to lift them further back, so they 
might not be trod on. 

The Northern troops, in this celebrated race of 
twenty-five miles, with forty thousand entries, was 
made without stopping ; for the goal was Washington, 
and the prize safety. Though taxed to their utmost, 
it is sorrowful to reflect that all this haste and endur- 
ance were needlessly expended. We have the facts in 
history that the Southerners did not pursue the Union 
army, and they did not find out the mistake till after 
the flight. This lesson was terrible to the North, but 
it was not sufficient to teach them to do justice to the 
down-trodden of my people ; and, still relying on their 
superior numbers and almost boundless resources, the 
government called for three hundred thousand more 
men. 

It was at this time that the whole North, humbled 
by defeat, and eager to revenge the Rebels, sprang to 
arms. Soon there was a gathering of the clans from 
the rivers to the lakes, and from ocean to ocean. 
George B. McClellan, of the West, led a mighty host 
towards Richmond, and by a new route. The earth 
shook beneath the tread of his army, and the ocean 
was filled with his iron-clad, war ships. Being chained 
down by fate in the pestilential swamps of the Chick- 
ahominy, daring not to strike, and unwilling to retreat, 
he permitted the golden moments to pass until his 
army was decimated by disease. The South then took 
fresh courage, and gathered from her broad dominions 
her best and bravest sons and threw them, with irre- 
sistible force, upon his defeated army. Indignant and 
morose, our army sought safety beneath the guns of 
6 



8S 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF TAMES L. SMITH. 



the fleet, otherwise every one of them would have been 
annihilated. 

It was under these circumstances of gloom and de- 
spondency that our beloved martyr President lifted 
himself to the height of his great duties ; issued the 
immortal proclamation of emancipation, proclaiming 
liberty to the oppressed millions made in the image of 
God; severing the chains from the limbs of hundreds 
of thousands. Their shouts of joy for new-born liber- 
ty had rung over distant hills, and through wooded 
dales. 

I was then keeping shop in Chapman's Block, on 
Franklin Square, when the proclamation of freedom 
was proclaimed ; it sent a thrill of joy through every 
avenue of my soul. I exclaimed, " Glory to God, peace 
on earth, and good will to men," for the year of jubilee 
has come ! His glorious Proclamation of Emancipa- 
tion will stamp the first of January, 1863, as the day of 
days ; the great day of jubilee to millions. When that 
battle cry resounded throughout the land, o'er river 
and plains, o'er mountains and glens, even then the 
government could not entirely emancipate itself from 
the hateful spirit of caste. Still awed by the traditions 
of the past, it had not the courage to say to the freed- 
men ; " We want you to fight in defence of the life of 
the nation ;" but they said : " We want you as laborers, 
and for your better organization and control we will 
enroll you in companies, and form you into a regiment, 
and for your protection, we will arm you." 

It was by this sneaking, back-door arrangement that 
they were smuggled surreptitiously into the service of 
our country. It was plainly seen that the American 



THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 83 

people, at first, were unwilling that the colored man 
should go into battle — it was "the white man's war, 
and negroes had nothing to do with it." When the 
Governor of the State of Ohio was asked if he would 
accept of a colored company, he replied that they 
" did n't want negroes " — and for the love to their coun- 
try went to Massachusetts and enlisted, with the prom- 
ise of the pitiful sum of seven dollars a month. And 
not until the Massachusetts Governor received the col- 
ored man as a soldier did the governors of the other 
Northern States think they could condescend to give 
the negro a musket and a suit of blue. These are facts 
that can not truthfully be denied. It was not the in- 
tention of the government at the beginning of the war 
to free the slaves, but they soon learned that men of 
color were made for a nobler purpose than to be 
"drawers of water and hewers of wood." 

As a war necessity, the Americans bestirred them- 
selves for their protection ; they were driven to take 
measures that neither God, justice nor humanity could 
induce them to adopt, knowing that the Rebels armed 
the slaves to fight against them, for they saw that they 
were likely to be defeated. It has been said that col- 
ored men will not fight for liberty, but will run at the 
first fire. They questioned their loyalty, and distrust- 
ed their fighting qualities. When we think of the Bull 
Run race, we have nothing to say about running. Let 
me direct vour attention to that brave Fifty-fourth 
Massachusetts colored regiment, who marched in the 
line of battle when more than one-third of their num- 
ber had fallen, their color-bearer lying in the cold em- 
brace of death, when a Mr. Wall, of Oberlin, grasped 



84 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

the flag, mounted the parapet and waved over the 
conquered enemy the stars and stripes. If that is not 
bravery, I ask what is? Is it running? We find them 
running to replace the flag of our country in the very 
capital of the Rebels, and we, as a nation, need not be 
ashamed of this kind of running. 

I commend the daring and noble deeds of our sol- 
diers, and hand them down to posterity as worthy of 
imitation, and that they have won for themselves a proud 
position on the pages of American history. Thanks 
be to God the colored men, as soldiers, have shown to 
the world their true patriotism in their valor and cour- 
age, and displayed as dauntless bravery as ever illumi- 
nated a battle field. Thousands have fought and 
died. They met death calmly, bravely defending the 
cause that we revere. The world has looked on with 
admiration and wonder at the boldness and daring of 
their victorious host, for they have contributed largely 
towards some of its splendid victories. They have 
come forward by thousands, and rallied around the so 
called "banner of the free," hoping that by preserving 
it from the hands of the enemy to make our dear be- 
loved country free— what she has so long been called 
in song and story: " The land of the free and the home 
of the brave," — after two hundred years or more of op- 
pression and injustice, and having not only their rights 
as citizens, but their manhood ignored ; and, besides, a 
thousand other wrongs calculated to kill the patriotism 
in any other than a black man. 

An incident of bravery of the colored troops at 
Port Hudson, I am about to relate, sends a thrill 
through every avenue of my soul. I wish it could be 



THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 85 

burned into our hearts with words of fire, so that no 
tongue would henceforth dare to utter or repeat the 
old slander that u black men will not fight for free- 
dom." Let the vaunted Anglo-Saxon stand back 
abashed before this sublime exhibition. 

In 1863 the Fifty-Second Regiment Massachusetts 
Colored Volunteers were ordered to charge the enemy's 
works, and did it magnificently. Just before they 
reached the forts they came to a ditch thirty feet wide 
and ten feet deep, full of water, which was absolutely 
impassable ; they were ordered forward again ; they 
could only do and die, yet on, right on they went to 
the hopeless charge; into the storm of grape and mus- 
ket balls ; on, with no chance of doing any thing but to 
die like brave men ; on, where their white officers dare 
not to lead, till nearly half their number were dead or 
dying. Five times more they charged up to this ba- 
you, when they were withdrawn. 

When I think of these torn and bleeding veterans as 
they wended their way to the hospital, it seems too 
horrible to relate. Nevertheless it is so, for I have the 
facts. I can hardly speak of it but with many tears. 
Bless God that they have shown themselves worthy to 
be free, and entitled to all the inalienable rights, among 
which are " life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ;" 
having won the rights for all their posterity, without 
having them infringed upon, for they are blood-bought 
rights. Can a people into whose hands arms have been 
placed, and who have been drilled in the art and 
science of war, become again slaves ? And can this na- 
tion, that has advanced so rapidly in the cause of free- 
dom, go backwards so much as to re-enslave a people 



86 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

that have assisted in fighting its battles? Forbid it, 
justice ! -forbid it, humanity ! forbid it, ye spirits of our 
fathers, still hovering over us ! forbid it, our Country ! 
forbid it, Heaven ! 

In the spring of 1865 the war closed ; then the lov- 
ers of the Union, and freedom, were giving thanks to 
God for recent victories they had gained, and rejoiced 
that right and justice had triumphed over wrong. City 
after city fell, until Richmond itself was surrendered 
to a band of colored warriors. 

There are times when the human heart is so over- 
whelmed with joy and gratitude, with thanksgiving and 
praise, that words seem meaningless, and language fails 
to convey the deep emotion felt. Words were inade- 
quate to convey the joy unspeakable, and almost full 
of glory, that the lovers of the Union felt at that hour 
of triumph. Great were the rejoicings over the fall of 
Richmond ; beautiful were the displays made in all 
the places, far and near. Flags were thrown out to the 
breeze, bells resounded, bonfires, illuminations ; the 
rocket's red glare, and the cannon boomed forth its 
peals of thunder. The innumerable lights which flash- 
ed forth their brilliancy threw into magnificent relief 
the gorgeous decorations of the buildings. Crowds of 
human beings of all sexes, nationalities and colors as- 
sembled in the streets ; they were wild with excite- 
ment ; they were crazy with joy ; enthusiasm cannot 
describe it. Men hugged each other, struck one anoth- 
er, yelled and screamed like wild men. 

Peace, with its snowy wings, seemed to be hovering 
in the air, ready to shed its blessings on the distracted 
and blood-drenched country. Richmond, for four long 



THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 87 

years of blood and tears, of fire and sword, was at last 
convulsed in its last death-throe. Events of magnitude 
crowded upon us in such rapidity that before we could 
duly digest the one, another of more startling import- 
ance rushed in and pushed it aside. Before we had 
half thought out the evacuation of Richmond, then 
came the sudden news of the surrender of Gen. Lee, 
and the Confederate army of Virginia. 

But ah ! our day of rejoicing had scarcely passed 
when the same wires that brought the tidings of the 
surrender of Lee, brought the sad intelligence that our 
beloved President was dead — fallen by the hand of an 
assassin ! Oh, what a shock to the American people. 
Our rejoicing was turned into mourning ; the whole 
country was draped in mourning ; every eye was dim 
med with tears. Pen can not begin to describe the sad- 
ness; deeply the people felt the loss of one whom they 
loved as a father. The American Nation has lost a 
pure patriot ; humanity a tried friend ; freedom a great 
champion. He was stricken down at the time when 
his great wisdom was so much needed in bringing his 
distracted and blood-drenched country into the harbor 
of returning peace and prosperity. His course, from 
the time of his inauguration, had been marked with wis- 
dom and justice; his manner had been unfaltering; 
his feelings could be touched by all classes of the na- 
tion, from the highest to the lowest — an instrument in 
the hands of God in avenging and redressing the 
wrongs of years, and the emancipator of my heretofore 
enslaved brethren of the South. None were afraid to 
approach his Excellency, and justice was always meted 
out, as the circumstances of the case required. It was 



88 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

my desire that he might have witnessed the end of the 
beginning; but as Moses, he viewed, but was not per- 
mitted by Divine Providence to reach the end of the 
beginning, which began to loom up with such splendor. 
The position he placed us in, as a people, causes us to 
feel as did the children of Israel when they passed 
through the Red Sea and were freed from the hand of 
Pharaoh and his pursuing host. Abraham Lincoln 
has gone but a step before us, but ever memorable will 
be his name in the hearts of the loyal millions. 

IN MEMORIAM. 

We also pay tribute to the late Senator Sumner, that 
in his death, we, and the friends of freedom everywhere 
have lost a sincere and earnest friend, an able and un- 
tiring philanthropist and statesman ; the principle of 
freedom he strove so earnestly to inculcate into the 
minds of all, irrespective of complexion. It was his 
last and most deeply cherished wish to lift up the col- 
ored race to the plane of perfect equality. " See to the 
Civil Rights Bill, don 't let it fail," were among his last 
utterances to his colleague, who stood beside the dying 
Senator. Probably at no period of his life did he more 
forcibly illustrate his perseverance, his energy, his zeal 
and eloquence than in the many efforts he made to 
pass this bill. That bill was the great work which was 
to crown his labors. We never can express the senti- 
ments of gratitude which his name awakens in the 
breast of every colored American. In defending the 
rights of my people by the most generous sentiments 
of his aspiring nature, by his sincere love of justice, he 
has acquired an immortal title to all their descendants. 
The Civil Rights Bill, passed April 9th, 1866. 



THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 89 

OUR STANDARD BEARERS. 

Thomas Jarrett, James and Lucretia Mott, Francis 
Jackson, Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, 
Henry C. Wright, Owen Lovejoy, Lydia Maria Childs, 
Abby Kelly Foster, the Phelpses, Samuel Budgett, dn(\ 
many others, by their pen and voice poured floods of 
light upon the minds and hearts of the public through 
evil as well as through good report, until they have cre- 
ated unto God, and developed that moral and religious 
influence which has always accomplished that to which 
they consecrated themselves, and for which they strove 
with a devotion as constant as truth, and with an in- 
dustry and zeal as unwavering as justice, and with a 
fidelity as pure as their cause was patriotic and sacred. 
Let them, and many others, shine as stars, for they 
were as beacon lights for freedom. They spoke when 
speech cost something ; their greeting was the violence 
of the mob, and their baptism fire and blood. They 
did not " count their lives dear unto themselves." The 
sufferings and death of Torrey Lovejoy and John 
Brown, has sent a thrill through the hearts of the na- 
tion, for they possessed a self-sacrificing spirit. Let 
their names be written with a diamond ; let the his- 
torian stamp them with letters of fire upon tablets of 
gold ; let the poet sing them in sweet strains ; let the 
scholar, with the graces of literature, embalm them ; 
let the great of humanity enshrine them. Their deeds 
can never be effaced, but will exist as an imperishable 
memento, engraven on the hearts of the people. 



90 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 



CHAPTER VIII 




AFTER THE WAR. 

Fear of capture — A visit to Heathsville — Father Christmas, and 
a children's festival — Preaching at Washington — My first 
visit to my old home — Joy and rejoicing — Meeting my old mis- 
tress — My old cabin home — The old spring — Change of situa- 
tions — The old doctor — Improvement in the condition of the 
colored people — Buying homes — Industry. 

FTER the Fugitive Slave Law was passed, 
terror struck the hearts of those who had 
escaped to the free States, as no earthly 
power could prevent them from being returned to their 
masters. Very many were taken back. For my part, 
I was very much frightened, and was continually 
haunted by dreams which were so vivid as to appear 
really true. One night I dreamt my master had come 
for me, and, as he proved property, I was delivered up 
to him by the United States Marshal. In the morning 
I told the dream to my wife. She said she " believed 
it would come true," and was very much worried. 

I went down to my shop, and, in the course of the 
morning, while looking out of my window, I noticed 
a number of persons who had just come in on the train, 
and among them I was sure I saw my master. You 



AFTER THE WAR. 91 

may rest assured I was pretty well frightened out of my 
wits. What to do I did not know. This man did 
certainly walk like him, had whiskers like him ; in fact 
his whole general appearance resembled his so much 
that I was sure that he had been put on my track. I 
peeped out at him as he passed my door and saw him 
go up the steps leading to the office of the U. S. Mar- 
shal, then I was sure he had come for me. I could do 
no more work that day. 

As my friends came in I told them of what I had 
seen, my fears, etc. ; and they assured me they would 
be on the look-out and see if such a man was in town, 
find out his errand, etc. Accordingly one of them who 
was a town crier, Dunton by name, went to the hotels 
and searched the registers to see if a man by the 
name of Lackey was registered there. At night he 
reported that no such name could be found. My 
friends declared that I should not leave this town. 
One even went so far as to go to the U. S. Marshal 
and ask if " anyone should come, looking for me, what 
he would do ; would he give me up ?" He replied : 
" No, he'd resign his position first." Another bought 
a revolver, and told me that " if they had me up, that, 
by some means, he would manage it so as to get it into 
my hands, that I might in some way defend myself." 
I had determined never to be taken back alive. Death 
was preferable to slavery, now that I had tasted the 
sweets of liberty. As it was, dreams of this kind 
ceased to trouble me, and the effects and fear wore off. 

It was not till after the Emancipation Proclamation, 
that a man who is living in Norwich to-day, told me 
that after I left the South, and had settled here, he 



92 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

went to Heathsville, to the very place where I used to 
live, saw my master, who asked him "whether, in his 
travels North, he had ever come across a man who was 
lame, a shoe-maker by trade; that he would give him 
two hundred dollars, cash, for any information which 
would lead to his discovery." He returned home, said 
nothing whatever to me, for fear I would be alarmed, 
sell out and leave the place ; said nothing to any one 
about it till after. January ist, 1863, when freedom was 
proclaimed throughout the land. 

During one of my visits to Heathsville, on which I 
always carried a large stock of clothing, shoes, etc., I 
formed a plan for some amusement among the young 
people. On Sunday it was announced that on a cer- 
tain evening during the week there would be a Christ- 
mas tree. All were invited to come ; accordingly when 
the time arrived, the church was packed ; many came 
from miles away. I selected a young man who I in- 
tended should represent Father Christmas, as he is 
called there. I put on him a long swallow tail coat, 
the ends of which almost touched the floor, then he 
was filled out so as to be very large ; he had on an ex- 
tremely sharp pointed collar, which extended far out 
from his face, which was hidden behind a mask. I 
opened with an address, and at a given signal, Father 
Christmas made his first appearance. Many of the 
children, even some of the old people were frightened 
nearly out of their wits ; one child ran forward, crying 
to his Uncle John to save him ; some fell over each 
other to get out of the way. Well, I laughed till I 
could laugh no longer, and finally I was obliged to dis- 
pense with Father Christmas before any thing like order 



AFTER THE WAR. 93 

could be obtained. Then the different articles were 
distributed, and if you could have heard the many 
prayers that went up from thankful hearts for the gifts 
received, no one would tire of this good work. General 
satisfaction reigned, and after a hymn of thanksgiving 
they dispersed to their homes. 

January, 1867, I was called to visit Washington, to 
see about a school for my daughter. While there I 
was invited by the pastor of Israel Church to preach 
on the Sabbath. At the close of the service many of 
my former friends came forward to greet me, and in- 
formed me of the old plantation, where my brother and 
two sisters still resided. I immediately wrote to my 
brother to let him know that I was still alive, and that 
I should visit Heathsville at such a time, and asked 
him if " he thought there would be any danger in com- 
ing." He informed me that " there was no danger, for 
Virginia was free." When he received the letter it 
seemed as from one risen from the dead. My sister 
took" the letter and went round amongst her friends, 
wild with joy. 

A few weeks after this I made preparations to start 
on my long-premeditated journey, in the middle of 
June, 1S67. I went by way of Washington. As I was 
proceeding down the old Potomac River her red banks 
looked natural to me, so much so that I could hardly 
suppress the feeling of joy which arose in my heart. 
That night the boat stopped about forty miles from 
Heathsville. The next morning, about light, I went 
ashore, as I was very anxious to tread once more on the 
old Virginia soil. Very soon the bell rang for the boat 
to start; I hastened on board again. By this time she 



94 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

had got under way, and I reached Cone Wharf at six 
o'clock — the very spot from where I started thirty 
years before. It seemed to me more like a dream than a 
reality. No one can imagine how I felt ; I could not 
believe that it was possible that I was going home to 
tread on free soil. I asked myself the question : " Can 
it be possible that Virginia is free?" I looked ashore 
before the boat reached the landing, and saw those old 
ex-slave-holders standing on the dock, which sent a 
thrill all over me. But soon the boat rounded up to 
the dock, and as soon as the gang-plank was put out 
there were some white young men who came aboard 
and stepped up to the bar and began drinking. A col- 
ored man, also, went up to get something to drink. 
There was a row that commenced with the white men 
and the colored man, and came very near ending in a 
fight. Here I saw the old spirit of slavery exhibited 
by the whites. This somewhat increased my fears ; but 
quiet was soon restored, and I stepped ashore almost 
on the same spot where I was thirty years before. • 

Things looked changed somewhat since I left, but 
after awhile I came to myself and found that I was 
really home again, unmolested where I was once a 
slave, and my joy knew no bounds. I was soon dis- 
covered by some of my old friends, and we congratulated 
one another like old friends, for I seemed to them like 
one risen from the grave. I felt as though I wanted to 
get down and kiss the free ground upon which I stood. 
I could hardly restrain my feelings, for it was a new 
day with me. This visit was fraught with many sad 
reminiscences of the past. 

After looking about and seeing the many changes 



AFTER THE WAR. 95 

that had been wrought in thirty years, I was taken by 
my friends and conveyed to my brother's house. On 
my way I came to the old mill, gray with age, where I 
used to work. In the mill was a little room partition- 
ed off where I had in former days done shoe-making. 
We stopped, and I went into the little room and saw 
where my bench used to stand, and the old, quaint fire- 
place where I used to make my fire. While I was there 
I remembered the joys and sorrows that I had passed 
through during the time I occupied that room. I then 
went to look for the old spring where I used to get 
water; I found it and knelt down by the side of it 
and drank therefrom. No language could express my 
feelings while I knelt over that spring. I then arose 
and continued my journey till I came to a cross-path, 
which I traveled in my former days. I asked the driv- 
er if " he would halt and let me get out of the wagon," 
and told him that " he could drive around and I would 
go across." As I viewed the place, old scenes seemed 
so natural to me that I could not help praising God in 
the highest for bringing me back to the place of my 
birth. 1 waited a few minutes, and then proceeded on. 
We then came to the old Heathsville spring; here I 
got out also and stooped to drink. We then came to 
the village of Heathsville, and as soon as I entered it, 
I was recognized by old friends who knew me in for- 
mer days. I alighted from the wagon and we clasped 
each other, and a full tide of joy rushed over our souls. 
Here I found my brother's wife, he having been sold 
years before. After looking around at the different 
places where I had lived, and the different shops where 
I had worked, I started for my brother's house, located 



96 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

about two miles out of the village of Heathsville. 
When I was within half-a-mile of his house, I met my 
brother coming out of the house of a friend, and as 
soon as I saw him I knew him, although I had not seen 
him for years. 

Dear reader, you should have been there in order to 
have realized the scene of our meeting. We got hold 
of each other and put our arms around each other's 
neck without speaking for some minutes; the silence 
was broken, and I exclaimed : " Dear brother, is it pos- 
sible that we are standing on Virginia's free soil, and 
we are free?" My brother replied, "yes, dear brother, 
and you too have been living in the 'land of the free 
and the home of the brave,' ' W T e wept and rejoiced, 
and praised God for his goodness in bringing us to- 
gether once more on free soil. For a short time all 
was excitement and confusion. When it had subsided 
we started for the house, where I met my eldest sister. 
She pressed eagerly forward to greet me, and we seem- 
ed to each other as one risen from the dead. We, too, 
fell on each other's neck and clasped each other and 
wept. News spread like wild-fire that Lindsay Payne 
(for that was my name before I escaped from slavery), 
had returned home again. Many of my old friends 
who once knew me, came flocking in to see me. My 
listeners were never weary, as I related to them the 
history of my life at the North, arid described the vari- 
ed scenes through which I had passed. My joy and 
excitement rose to such a height, that I scarcely knew 
whether I was in the body or out. 

In the afternoon I went down to the " great house," 
so-called in the days of slavery, where Mrs. Sarah 



AFTER THE WAR. 97 

Winsted lived, who was formerly my mistress. She 
was the second wife of my former master, Mr. Langs- 
don. She survived him, and afterwards married a Mr. 
Winsted, who died before her. When I got within 
two hundred yards of the house she saw me coming, 
and knew me. It being warm weather she threw on 
her sun bonnet and came to meet me, and was so glad 
that she wept and grasped my hand for a minute before 
either spoke. At last she broke the silence by saying : 
"Oh! Lindsay, is this you?" I replied: "This is 
me, what there is left of. me." Says Mrs. Winsted: 
"Let us go to the house." Mrs. Winsted then intro- 
duced me to her daughter, who had been born since I 
left, and then set the table and would have me take 
dinner with her. Although I had eaten dinner, I ac- 
cepted her cordial invitation as an appreciation of her 
kindness. 

After dinner she told me " to relate to her the nar- 
rative of my escape from slavery ; how I got away, and 
how the Yankees had treated me since I had been up 
amongst them ?" I set my chair back, and told her 
the whole story of my escape. When I told her how 
frightened I was by seeing the cars, and thought the 
engine was the devil coming after me, she really did 
shake with laughter. I also informed her of our sail 
up the Chesapeake Ray in a small boat, and how we 
were overtaken byv the storm of wind and came very 
near being lost, but we reached the land of freedom in 
safety ; that the Northern people had treated me com- 
paratively well ; and that I had bought me a comfort- 
able home. She seemed to be very much pleased with 



98 AUTOBIOGRAPHV OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

my recital. I gave her a nice pair of shoes, for which 
she was very thankful. 

While on this visit I saw a great many places of my 
childhood. Among them were Hog Point, where I spent 
many of my boyhood days ; and, also, the very spot 
where I was made lame. I saw the old oak tree that 
stood near my mother's cabin home, which I have 
mentioned in the first part of this work, on a limb of 
which Mr. Haney hung one of his slaves, and whipped 
him till the ground beneath him was' stained with his 
blood. I tried to find the same limb, but although the 
tree appeared to be in perfect health and strength, that 
limb seemed to have withered and dropped off. While 
I was meditating under this tree, many scenes of my 
boyhood came vividly to my recollection. I then 
searched for my mother's cabin home, but no humble 
cabin, like the one in my memory met my eye ; it had 
given place to a dense pine forest. The logs of the 
cabin had either been burned, or rotted with the dust 
of the earth. All was desolate in the extreme. I call- 
ed, but there was no response ; no voice of a kind 
mother greeted my ear ; no welcome of the eleven 
brothers and sisters greeted my approach ; all was 
speechless as the grave. Nothing occupied that sacred 
spot but the reptile and the owl. As I gazed and 
thought I became faint and sorrowful. I turned from 
here in pursuit of the spring from which I had carried 
so many buckets of water. After much search and 
labor, crawling through the bushes and fallen trees, I 
found the old spring and drank therefrom. The old 
gum tree that was near this spring in my childhood 
days, I found there still, being bent with age; its 



> 



00 



** 




AFTER THE WAR. 



99 



branches hung over this spring. It was once noted 
for its healing properties, the berries of which were 
used for medicinal purposes. 

These three springs that I have mentioned, have 
served to quench the thirst of many a weary soldier as 
he stooped to drink, at the time of the great rebellion. 
I knelt, and offered my heart in prayer and thanksgiv- 
ing to " God, who doeth all things well." I thought how 
often my brothers and sisters and myself, came to and 
from that spring; but now we were separated, nearly 
all of us, never more to meet, till we meet in that 
heavenly land where father, mother and children shall 
never part; " where the wicked cease from troubling, 
and the weary are at rest." From there, with a heavy 
heart, I went in search of our neighbors ; they, too, 
like the cabin, were gone ; they had been committed 
to the dust, and their spirits had returned to " God, 
who gave them." Their houses were occupied by 
others ; with a sad heart I retraced my steps to the 
home of Mrs. Winsted, and then to my brother's. 

I spent three or four weeks in Heathsville, and while 
1 was on this visit I went a second time to see Mrs. 
Winsted, and found her in the garden, in the hot sun, 
hoeing. Said I, "is it possible that you can work out 
in the hot sun?" She replied, " Lindsay, we can do a 
great many things when we are obliged to, that we 
once thought we could not do." I saw the changes 
that freedom had wrought, and I thought, "how people 
can accommodate themselves to circumstances." When 
we were on the plantation together she would not 
allow herself even to walk out doors in the hottest part 
of the day, without a servant to hold an umbrella over 
her. " •, 



100 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

Many a man who was very rich, has been reduced to 
beggary. Many of those negro traders, who used to 
buy up a large number of slaves and carry them down 
to the lower States and sell them, have become so poor 
that they have not clothes to hide their nakedness. 
They go around among the freedmen and beg for some- 
thing to eat. I know a man who was once very rich, 
worth about half-a-million, who has since been reduced 
to such poverty that he has been obliged to hire him- 
self out under the United States service to work on a 
mud machine, as a common day laborer, and is not al- 
lowed to go and see his family but once in three 
months, he being in Norfolk and his family in Balti- 
more. Others, who were rich, are even worse off than 
he. This description does not include all the slave- 
holders, for those who were kind and humane towards 
their slaves are far better off in circumstances than the 
others. The slaves, as a general thing, did not leave 
them in the time of the war, but stayed with them to 
protect their property, while their masters were on the 
battle field. Those who brutalized their victims seem 
to be marked by the vengeance of the Almighty ; they 
are wasting away like the early dew, for many have 
nowhere to lay their heads, except among those whom 
they have abused. 

The colored people, unlike all other nations on the 
face of the earth, are ready to fulfill that passage of 
Scripture: "Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed 
him ; if he thirst, give him drink ; for in so doing thou 
shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Many of them, 
when bleeding from the effects of the knotted whips 
applied by their cruel task masters, could have risen 



AFTER THE WAR. 101 

and made the land knee deep with the blood of their 
oppressors, and thus avenged themselves of the host of 
cruel wrongs which they have suffered ; but, instead of 
raising an insurrection, they calmly left the plantations 
without injuring a hair of the heads of their masters, 
and went on the Union side; and not till the United 
States put arms into their hands, and bade them go 
forward in the defence of their country, did they at- 
tempt to show any signs of revenge. 

During my first visit I noticed that very many of the 
houses looked very ancient and dilapidated. The old 
slave pens, and the whipping posts, stood just as they 
were when I left. The fertile soil which once brought 
forth in abundance, and the cotton and corn, presented 
an unbroken scene of barrenness and desolation. The 
place was almost depopulated — plantations forsaken. 

The South has been subjected to a fearful waste of 
population. Thousands of the colored people during 
the war, and many thousands of whites also left, to say 
nothing of those who have been killed. I only found 
one brother and two sisters living. Since that time my 
eldest sister has died, leaving four or five children, 
three of whom had been torn from her, and sold into 
slavery, and she never heard from them again. She 
was a great sufferer, owing to the want of proper care, 
and sorrow reigned in her inmost soul. Finally the 
Angel of Death came and severed 'her from her suffer- 
ings. Her husband survives her, as I write. " The 
fountains of bitter sorrow are stirred by the healing 
branch that God can cast." As soon as I struck the 
Virginia wharf, the words of the aged colored doctor 
came vividly to my mind, who told me my future des- 



102 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

tiny: " that in the course of time I would return to 
my native land." Sure enough, I had returned after 
thirty years' absence. 

A day or two after I had made my escape from slav- 
ery, Thomas Langsdon, supposing that the old doctor 
was accessory to my running away, fell on the man 
and beat him in a brutal manner, most shocking to be- 
hold. The doctor never recovered from his injuries ; 
being a free man he did not have any one to intercede 
for him. After I had been home a few days I inquired 
after the doctor and found, to my great sorrow, that he 
had gone to his long home, where no foe nor hostile 
bands will ever enter its peaceful inclosure. In my re- 
peated visits to Heathsville, I observed but little im- 
provement since the great rebellion ; there have been 
but few houses built for the last thirty years. The 
condition of the colored people is improving very fast, 
for many of them are buying lands and building, and 
thus preparing homes for themselves. Their condition 
is much better than those who once owned them. The 
old ex-slave-holders are dying off very fast. As they 
have no one to cultivate their large plantations, and 
can not do it themselves, they are obliged to divide 
them up and sell them to the freedmen, as they are 
growing over with dense forests.* I think that event- 
ually, Virginia will be in as flourishing a condition as 
any section of the United States. 

The Northern people are beginning to emigrate 
there. The steam whistle from the factory and saw- 

*These pine trees had grown up from the larger trees, (saplings as they are 
called), and reminded me of past days, when we slaves had to fell them for 
fire-wood for our masters. The woodlands were owned by them, and nothing 
could induce them to buy fuel to burn as long as they had slaves to labor in 
felling trees. 



AFTER THE WAR. 103 

mill, which serve for the employment of many, is be- 
ginning to be heard morning, noon, and night. Things 
begin to wear a Northern aspect considerably. The 
log-cabin begins to disappear in some places, giving 
way to houses of modern construction. The broad, 
long handle Southern hoe is giving place to a more 
modern make. This improvement is more or less seen, 
except among the class that bought and sold human 
flesh, and obtained their living from the bones 
and sinews of others. But how have the ex-slave- 
holders — that is, including all of them in the South — 
treated the freed people since the great rebellion of 
1861 ? The colored people of the South have suffered 
every thing, even death itself. Some were violently 
beaten, or rudely scourged : many were deliberately 
shot down in open day, on the public streets ; others 
were way-laid and cruelly butchered, and some, God 
only knows the fate they have suffered. There has 
been an awful destruction of human life. The 
streets have been drenched with their blood, for it 
has flown freely. Many worthy and willing hands 
were left without employment, while others worked 
for a mere pittance to get their living, while still others 
toiled on as formerly, without any agreement or prob- 
ability of due return. When the civil rights bill was 
passed, April 9th, 1866, the condition of the colored 
people was ameliorated in many instances. 

During the rebellion some were driven from their 
cabins during the absence of their owners, who were 
on the battle field. The cabins, many of them, were 
stripped of all their contents, leaving the occupants 
nothing. Oh ! how many have suffered malice and re- 



104 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

venge — the bitter wrath and vengeance of those who 
justly shared the disappointments and misfortunes at- 
tending the overthrow of slavery and rebellion. 

My brother is doing well, and has bought himself a 
nice farm, from which he raises crops every year. He 
is a Baptist preacher ; and, besides presiding over his 
own church, he has the oversight of the Lancaster 
Baptist Church, in Lancaster County; thus supplying 
two churches, the Northumberland, and the Lancas- 
ter churches. My younger sister, who resides in 
Wycomco, in Northumberland County, Va., has four 
or five children ; and, through her and her husband's 
industry, have procured a small farm, from which they 
have obtained principally the support of their family. 

Durii^g my repeated visits to Heathsville I have car- 
ried boxes of clothing and a large trunk closely packed, 
for the benefit of the freedmen and their families. 
The little sacks and other children's clothes were pre- 
sented to mothers whose little children stood in great 
need of them, and were very thankfully received. 
" God bless the friends of the North," was the hearty 
exclamation of many. I found the colored people 
industriously employed in doing something, and thus 
they seemed contented and happy. 

In December, 1879, during my visit, I went down to 
Fairfield, some five or six miles from Heathsville, where 
1 had learned my trade, and found the old place much 
dilapidated. The fields from which were raised corn 
and wheat were all grown over with thick forests. 
The " great house " had been burned to the ground. 
Mrs. Winsted had passed from time into eternity to 
try the realities of the other world. The shop that 



AFTER THE WAR. 



105 



I used to work in had been torn down, and desolation 
seemed to mark the place. The foot of the war horse 
had been there. I tender my thanks to the kind 
friends of Norwich for their generous gifts. 




106 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 



CHAPTER IX. 




CONCLUSION. 

The Fifteenth Amendment Celebration — The parade— Address — 
Collation — Charles L. Remond — Closing words. 

ROM 1867 to 1869 great changes were taking 
place in the government. Amendments to 
the Constitution were being made ; among 
them was the fifteenth amendment. When that was 
passed the colored Americans of Norwich called a 
meeting and passed a resolution proposing to celebrate 
that great event. In May, 1870, we appointed a com- 
mittee to arrange for the same. I was appointed chair- 
man of that committee. A motion was made to ex- 
tend a call to the Hon. Charles L. Remond, of Boston, 
to deliver the oration. The motion was unanimously 
passed to that effect. 

The Fifteenth Amendment Celebration took place on 
June 16th, 1870. At early dawn the booming of the 
cannon was heard from the distant hill, that aroused 
the participants to the more arduous duties of the day. 
The din and smoke reminded one of the war, where 
our veterans fought so creditably. The first part of 



( ONCLUSION. 107 

the morning the weather did not look very favorable 
for us. There was a misty appearance in the air, but 
as it advanced towards ten o'clock that hazy look wore 
off, and the half-veiled sun shone in all its splendor. 
On that eventful morning the committee of arrange- 
ments labored faithfully to make the affair a success, 
for it was a scene of bustling activity. Flags that bore 
the national colors, and banners bearing mottoes ap- 
propriate for the occasion were waving in the breeze- 
Every effort was made by some to make it a failure, 
but their plans were frustrated by our eminent citizens. 
When undertaking a good project for our fellow-men, 
we are often defeated by our enemies. In this we 
almost lost our balance, which we soon regained in 
our full strength, and we came off victorious, to the 
astonishment of our opposers. 

The generous contributions of the citizens, by way 
of provisions and money for the celebration, evinced 
their appreciation of our efforts; the arrangement re- 
flected great credit upon those who had it in charge. 
The procession formed on Franklin Square, headed b.y 
the Norwich Brass and String Bands, proceeded from 
the Square up Washington Street, down Broadway, up 
Franklin Street, thence to Rockwell's Grove, where a 
platform was erected, upon which sat the speaker of 
the day, and a few of our leading citizens. One feature 
of the procession that attracted much attention, was a 
tastefully decorated car, drawn by two horses, filled with 
young ladies dressed in white, bearing aloft the banner 
of beauty and glory. The selectmen, common council, 
clergy, and other citizens participated in the celebra- 
tion, and helped to swell the number. 



108 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

A goodly number stood beneath the trees in the 
shad}' grove, and fanned by the gentle breeze that came 
laden with the perfume of peaceful fields, under the 
canopy of the deep blue heavens, listened to the oration 
of the Hon. Charles L. Remond. The exercises open- 
ed with prayer by one of our citizens, invoking the 
blessings of Heaven upon all. After which Mr. Re- 
mond proceeded in a most able and eloquent manner 
to review, in fine style, the most important incidents 
connected with the event we had met to celebrate. 
His theme was : " The Advancement of the Colored 
People." He referred to the present condition and 
future prospects of my people. Every word was spark- 
ling, brilliant, convincing and touching, and was re- 
ceived with great applause. His speech was full of 
thoughts that breathe, and words that burn, and was 
listened to with marked attention and interest. 

After the address was a collation, to which the peo- 
ple did ample justice. The long tables were arranged 
with much taste, by competent ladies, and others, who 
had them in charge. It was an enjoyable occasion for 
every one present. The Norwich Brass Band played 
in fine style the pleasing national airs; among them 
were "Hail, Columbia," and the "Star Spangled Ban- 
ner," which always stir up the patriotism of every true 
American, and were loudly encored. It was an event 
long to be remembered in the hearts of my people, and 
is one of the greatest and brightest events that has 
ever occurred in our history as a people, and should be 
handed down from generation to generation. We ten- 
der our thanks to the citizens of Norwich, for their 
generosity and kindness in aiding us in the great and 
good cause. 



CONCl 



109 



IN MEMORIAM. 

The Hon. Charles L. Remond is no more, for his 
earthly career is ended. By hie untiring energy he 
became one of our first men, and advanced, step by 
step, till he became a custom house officer at Boston. 
His well-known qualifications as a man were more than 
of ordinary mark, and well fitted him for the position 
and duties which he was called to fill. He always 
wielded his pen for the benefit of his people. As an 
orator, he has had few equals. His pen has carried 
light and comfort to many a household of my people. 
He was one of the pioneers of the anti-slavery move- 
ment in its earliest days, when agitation was at its 
height. Let his honored name be held in grateful re- 
membrance, to be handed down from posterity to pos- 
terity. 

Dear reader, this simple story of my life is no record 
of bold events, that with the multitude constitute the 
hero ; no tell tale of fiction to draw on the imagination. 
It is a story that is real, that is earnest ; and if it 
touches the simple heart that has power to sympathize 
with the unfortunate in times of adversity, and to 
mingle in the joys that come to the after life, giving 
peace and satisfaction to the soul, it will accomplish its 
purpose. I have hesitated in this work, feeling that 
ordinarily the experiences of the individual life are 
sacred, and that the bitterest and the best belong to 
one's own self, and can never be felt by another. But 
there are lives whose experiences the public have a 
right to know ; lives wrought out in the interest of 
some great cause, or so linked to the progress of hu- 



110 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

manity that they modify and mould its destiny. The 
life that is buoyant with hope, living perpetually in 
God's sunshine, realizing every thing that is sweet in 
existence, has little in it that touches the chord of 
sympathy, and no necessity calls for its revealment 
Yet there are those in toils and trials that reap an ex- 
perience that, when made known, unfold a lesson of 
admonition and comfort to others. Life's ways, in 
this regard, are so mysterious that we are dumb to the 
inquiry : ' l Why is it so ?" Yet, flowing out of this, 
we see the Guiding Hand preparing us for better things, 
moulding us for a better life. The slave-life of which 
this little volume so largely treats is analagous to this. 
No mystery was ever deeper than that which shrouds 
the path by which men were led into bondage, and no 
system was ever more cruel and intolerant than that 
which inflicted stripes and burdens upon men, without 
cause, and deprived them of liberty and the right to 
life. Yet when we look back upon God's dealings with 
his early people, and see how they wrought in bondage 
and suffered in their wanderings from it, it reveals His 
power of bringing good out of evil, light out of dark- 
ness, and becomes a school of wisdom to the world. 
So the first slave ship that crossed the ocean, with its 
stolen fruits of life and liberty, of bone and muscle, of 
sinew and nerve, of flesh and spirit, bore tidings of 
sorrow and wretchedness to generations, whom, yet 
through the darkness and gloom of two centuries the 
Great Disposer of all events saw the end. We are yet 
unable to see it. The wail of the bondman toiling in 
the brake, or under the scourging lash must have a 
significance in the work of civilization, or God is not 
wise or just. 



CONCLUSION. Ill 

The filling up of their years with misery and degra- 
dation must mean something more than an event of 
fate, else there is no law of progress that bears men on 
through storm, tumult and tempest to the goal of peace. 
We are just crossing the bitter waters, andean scarcely 
see our landing ; we are not safe over, yet we hope to 
escape the storms that are still beating upon us, and 
moor our bark on the shore of freedom. Dear friend, 
read this simple story carefully, and ponder its lessons. 
What if it had been your child, stolen from your home, 
borne to a foreign shore, doomed to such a life, and 
destined to become the progenitor of a race bound to 
toil and woe, would not your heart flow in sympathy 
with the weakest of that race who should come to you 
in sorrow ? But, say you, the day of trial is over, the 
stream of sympathy may be dried up because of the 
nominal freedom that has been vouchsafed. I say to 
you nay ; my whole race is yet in peril, and God only 
knows the end. The love of gain, the lust of power 
is still dominant, and ceases not to inflict their burdens 
and enforce their demands. 

Sorrowing at the situation, pained at the necessity 
which yet drives our brethren from pillar to post, or 
binds them to the wicked caprices of their old masters, 
yet we appreciate the open hearts that welcome them 
to new homes, and the willing hands that minister to 
their dire necessities. We have yet much to ask of 
others ; we have much more to accomplish for our- 
selves. What has been wrought in the past can not be 
overcome at once. Gradually the work of demoraliza- 
tion does its work, and not much swifter must be the 
work of regeneration. We can not save ourselves with- 



112 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

out aid and sympathy from others; without the pro- 
tection of just laws and righteous judgment; others 
can not save us without our aid — without the consecra- 
tion of all our best faculties to the work before us. 
Let us, then, work mutually in unfolding the mysteries 
of that Providence which is not only bringing us up 
out of bondage, but which is to redeem the whole race 
of mankind from the gloom of darkness and the thrall- 
dom of sin. 

With these thoughts I leave, asking you to give your 
hearts to wisdom, restraining yourselves from selfish- 
ness, and living for the good of others. There has 
been enough of pain, and sorrow, and despair. The 
whole current of life must be changed, and men be 
taught no longer to hedge the way of others, but to 
scatter sunbeams, solar sunbeams ; the sunbeams of 
life in their path. 



<*t^** 



sstswJ: 



COLORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 113 



CHAPTER X. 




COLORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 

In battle — Kindness to Union men — Devotion to the Union — 
29th Conn. — Its departure — Return — The noble Kansas troops 
— 54th Mass. — Obedience to orders. 

T is a fact to be lamented that the historians 
of our country speak so little about the he- 
roic deeds of the colored troops ; in fact, by 
some no mention is made of them at all ; but, let it be as 
it may, the fact that they, after many petitions to be al- 
lowed to take their place in the ranks, fought bravely 
and well, lives in the heart of every true American 
citizen. Many were the commendations they received 
from their officers. Look at them at Fort Pillow, Mil- 
liken's Bend, Port Hudson, Fort Wagner and Olustee ! 
Where do we find them ; In places of most imminent 
danger, where the battle raged hottest, closing up 
where their ranks were thinned out before a reeking 
fire of graDe and canister. 

" Cannon to the right of them ! 
Cannon to the left of them ! 
Onward they went, 
' Noble black regiment !' " 



114 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

The black man went into the war with but one de- 
termination : that once learning the use of arms, he 
would never again be made a slave. Whether he ever 
enjoyed the blessed privileges of freedom himself it 
mattered little to him so that his race derived the bene- 
fits. Says one officer : " I never saw men more will- 
ing to sacrifice themselves on the ' altar of their 
country ' than those in the 8th U. S., of which I have 
command." Says a captain of another colored com- 
pany : " I never saw a more heroic company of men in 
my life." And thus it might be said of many other 
colored regiments that went into the field. None were 
ever known to flee when the hour of battle was nigh; 
nay, rather it was as much as the officers could do to 
restrain them till the order to fire should be given. 

The slaves had it in their power, when their masters 
were away to the war, to kill their defenceless wives 
and children, many of whom had been left in their 
care. How often has the case been when the master, 
just before leaving his home, has called to him his 
most faithful servant and left in his charge those most 
dear to him ; and I have known cases where silver- 
ware and other valuables have been stowed away in 
some old cabin till "mar's comes back." Ah! the 
slave-holder knew the slaves could be trusted — a fact 
which the North was not long in finding out, even be- 
fore it tried the experiment of organizing them into 
troops. 

A Union soldier being wounded, probably left in the 
woods to die, having wandered about under cover of 
night, at last falls upon the cabin of some old "aunty." 
A sense of safety and security steals over him, for he 



COLORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 115 

knows that no power on earth could make her betray 
him. I copy an extract of a letter, showing the kind- 
ness of the slaves towards the Union soldiers, to which 
many of them can testify : 

" ADVENTURES OF TWO ESCAPED PRISONERS, AND THE HELP 

THEY RECEIVED FROM THE SLAVES IN THE PERILOUS 

VOYAGE THENCE TO KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE. 

" Two Union officers, Lieut. Col. Thomas J. Leigh, of the 71st 
New York, and Lieut. Thicker, of Indiana, had made their escape 
from the prison stockade at Columbia, S. C. They traveled two 
nights, and got within three miles of Lexington, when they met a 
couple of slaves, and asked them the direction to Ninety-Six Sta- 
tion. They pointed out to the officers the road, and asserted posi- 
tively that ' they were their friends, and when they wanted assist- 
ance they must crawl up to the fields about dusk, and wait for a 
field hand to come along ; and they would furnish them with pro- 
visions, and never betray them.' On the fifth night of their jour- 
ney they were making north-west for Knoxville, Tenn. On the 
evening of the sixth day they ventured cautiously to a plantation 
where they saw a large number of hogs in a field running toward 
them as though they expected to be fed, and they judged from this 
that a slave would soon come and feed them. They were right in 
their conjecture, for in a few moments a slave came along with a 
basket on his head, with corn for the hogs. Col. Leigh called to 
him, and, as he came up to him, questioned him ' if he would 
betray him?' The slave replied: 'No; the negroes in that part 
of the country did not do that sort of thing.' He said : ' You 
must be hungry ? ' The officer replied : ' That was what I hailed 
you for.' The slave advised him ' to wait about an hour, and he'll 
have lots to eat.' He then started for the house, and in about an 
hour came back, along with several other slaves, all carrying eata- 
bles — chicken, possum, rice and shortcake — sufficient to last a two 
days' journey. As it began to rain, the slaves advised them ' to 
lay still that night, and it would clear up before morning.' Both 
of the officers took their advice, and they kept them company all 
night. 



116 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

" They were very anxious about the state of affairs. They asked 
the officers ' if they thought Jeff. Davis was going to give the slaves 
arms ;' and then said that their ' masters had made propositions to 
them, that if they would take up arms and fight for the South, they 
would be free.' One of the officers asked them 'if they would 
fight against the North ? ' They promptly replied : ' Only let them 
give us arms, and we will show them which side we will fight for.' 
They said : ' We have now some arms hid ;' and wanted to know 
' if, when they were formed into companies and regiments, whether 
they could be together, and talk with one another.' He told them 
' Certainly.' One slave remarked ; ' My master offers me my free- 
dom if I will take up arms, but I have a family — a wife and five 
children — and he does not offer to free them ; and we have come 
to the conclusion that there is no use in fighting for our freedom 
when any one of our children we may have are to be made slaves.' 
He felt that he could not himself enjoy the blessings of freedom 
while his own wife and children toiled in hopeless bondage. Con- 
tinued he : ' When we get the use of arms, and are permitted to 
be together in regiments, we can demand freedom for our families, 
and take it.' Another one remarked ' that their masters did not 
venture to whip them now ; that they were fed on a little better 
food than before the war, and they believed this was only done to 
humor them and keep them quiet. 

"They departed the next morning, wishing the slaves 'good 
luck,' and they replying 'God bless you,' which is a very common 
expression in that portion of the country. They then pursued 
their journey, without any thing worthy of note happening, until 
they arrived in the Pickens District, S. C, on a plantation of Dr. 
Earl, who was publicly known to be a secessionist. Here they 
were in the midst of a large number of slaves of his plantation, and 
others, discussing the arrival of Gen. Sherman, at Augusta, Ga. 

" It appeared that they had in a secret manner sent one of their 
number in haste towards Hamburg, to get fresh information about 
Sherman, with the intention, on the arrival of the courier, to make 
a general stampede into the Union lines. They counted on be- 
tween five and eight thousand slaves, who consented to go with 
them. All of these men treated the officers very kindly, and gave 
them a large supply of provisions. They told them ' to stop at 



COLORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 117 

the home of John W. Wilson, a strong Union man.' Accord- 
ingly, the next evening about half-past nine o'clock, Col. Leigh 
knocked at Wilson's door ; he came, holding a revolver in his 
hand, and demanded to know who they were. They told him 
that 'they were escaped Union officers." After hearing this, he 
invited them into his house, and treated them very cordially. He 
informed them of the re-election of President Lincoln, and as they 
were about leaving him, went kindly with them to the middle of 
the road, where they all gave three cheers for Abraham Lincoln. 

" Being properly directed on their course, they reached Bumcomb 
County, in Western North Carolina. There they saw a woman 
in a field plowing ; she informed them that in that County, and 
also in Henderson and Madison Counties, there were over five hun- 
dred men who had been conscripted — enrolled militia-men — her 
husband among the number, who, refusing to join the Confederate 
army, lay concealed in caves in the woods. The country is ran- 
sacked by Rebel details, who plunder the defenceless women and 
children, and shoot the men if found in the woods. In traveling 
over a distance of one hundred and thirty miles, across the moun- 
tains, a scene of great destitution prevailed ; women performed 
the duties of men ; the children had no shoes, and the country 
seemed given up to entire lawlessness. The remainder of their 
journey was executed solely under the guidance of women, and 
on the evening of December 13th they reached Knoxville, having 
spent forty-four days in their perilous travels." 

Many a soldier has been carefully nursed by slaves, 
and sent back to the army a well man. It will be seen, 
moreover, that the slave was no respecter of persons, as 
in this instance : A slave mother, who, on bidding her 
son " God speed," on his way to the war, exclaimed : 
" If you see Mar's, pick him out de fust one. ' The 
name "Yankee," to these poor, depressed people meant 
freedom, and they were never known to turn their 
hand against a blue coat. 

At the beginning of the war many black men went 
as servants, and at times of battle begged for a bayo- 



118 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

net, and took their places in a company. How many 
brave souls perished this way will never be known till 
the judgment. History has made no note of them, 
though they died riddled with bullets, with the bayo- 
net grasped firmly in the hand. 

Some of the slave-holders offered their slaves free- 
dom if they would join the Confederate army. Says 
one : " I have a wife and children in slavery ; he don't 
say a word about freeing them. No, sir, I don't fight 
unless they can be free, too." Others, on being inter- 
rogated as " to what they 'd do if arms were put in 
their hands, whether they would fight for the South," 
replied : " Let them give us arms, we '11 show them 
which side we fight for." And so, at last, when the ex- 
periment was tried, whether the black man would run 
in battle, it was soon found out which side they were 
determined to fight for. 

As soon as it was made known that colored volun- 
teers would be accepted they came pouring in from all 
sections. In Norwich a regiment was soon formed, 
(29th Conn.,) which did good service in the field. 
Never did we feel prouder than when, after a few 
weeks' encampment in New Haven, they marched away 
with flying banners and marshal music. 

Some of the ladies of color instituted a Ladies' Aid 
Society, which met once a week at the houses of its 
different members to make up both fancy and useful 
articles, as they intended to hold a fair in one of the 
largest halls in the place — the proceeds of which were 
to be devoted to getting up a box for the brave 29th. 
There was in it almost every conceivable delicacy that 
could be imagined, that would bring delight to any one 



COLORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 119 

far away from home and longing for its luxuries. 
There were also useful and needy articles, put up by 
loving hands, for the brave boys who had given their 
lives for their country. Some few of them lived to re- 
turn. In the severe fighting before Petersburg many 
found an early grave. 

The fair was held for one week, at Breed Hall, 
which was most handsomely decorated with flags and 
banners. The tables were arranged around the hall, 
and fairly crowded upon them were articles of every 
description. Many thanks are due to those who so 
well patronized us. Many influential families sent in 
contributions, both of money and articles to help the 
cause. Too much can not be said of the members of 
the society for their untiring zeal — how they met, 
through storm and rain — nothing deterred them from 
their work. If, at times, their spirits seemed to flag, 
thoughts of the brave 29th, at their dangerous posb 
stirred them up with renewed vigor. The fair netted 
a handsome profit. The box was quickly made ready, 
and sent on its way. 

We have the surety that the box reached its destina- 
tion from the following extract of a letter written by 
E. C. Green to an officer of the regiment. It reads 
thus : 

* * * Before closing, may I refer you to the pleasure 

you gave to the ladies of our Soldiers' Aid Society, a year since» 
in allowing them to furnish your regiment with a box of hospital 
supplies, and say to you, if your supplies are at present insufficient, 
we would be glad to forward another box of similar articles, if 
your surgeon would have the pleasure of sending us a list of arti- 
cles needed. With much esteem, 

Yours, very truly, 

E. C. GREEN." 



120 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

DEPARTURE OF THE BRAVE TWENTY-NINTH, CONN. 

At two p. m. the regiment stood in waiting. A few 
moments after, a carriage containing Major General 
Russell, Major Tyler, Major Wayland, and Alderman 
Marble, drove up in front of the regiment ; every man 
of which stood erect and manly as if conscious of what 
was before him. A handsome flag was presented by 
Miss Diantha Hodge, to whom Col. Wooster respond- 
ed in a soldier-like speech ; after which the order was 
given, and they marched off by the right flank, amid 
the cheers of the assembled crowds, and the farewells 
of old friends. Cheer after cheer came from the lips 
of the men, as they saw the stars and stripes floating to 
the breeze along the line of march. The regiment 
halted on the old Green for an hour, waiting for the 
tide to rise to enable the steamer Warrior to near the 
wharf ; then the line of march was resumed down 
Chapel Street to State, down State to the wharf. At 
six o'clock the regiment marched on board, with orders 
to report at the depot of the ninth army corps, at 
Annapolis, Md. 

Reaching this place they found themselves any thing 
but comfortable— a sharp, raw north-east wind prevail- 
ing. The tents did not arrive till nearly dark ; these 
were hastily pitched and occupied. In the morning 
they awoke to find themselves covered with from one 
to three feet of snow. Crackling, blazing camp-fires 
were built, and around them cheerful, blue-coated dark 
skins gathered, full of wit and humor. On the 27th of 
April, 1864, the regiment left for the front. Its suffer- 
ings in the bloody struggle before Richmond were ter- 
rible and heart-rending. It went into the fight of eleven 



COLORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 121 

hours with four hundred and fifty brave, armed and 
equipped men ; it came out with one hundred and 
eighty men, all told — no field officers, and one wounded 
company officer. 

THEIR RETURN. 

On the morning of Oct. 14th, 1865, orders were re- 
ceived to prepare to be mustered out of the U. S. ser- 
vice. Oct. 1 6th the boys bade good-bye to hard -tack, 
salt horse, and other delicacies known nowhere but in 
the army. They embarked on board the steamer, 
singing " Homeward Bound." After reaching New 
York they embarked for Hartford, where they would be 
paid off, and receive their discharge papers. Here 
they were met by the Mayor and a committee, and 
marched up to Central Row, headed by Colt's Brass 
Band, where they stacked arms and unslung knap- 
sacks ; then the battalion formed in two ranks and 
marched to the City Hall, where a splendid feast 
awaited them. 

On entering the hall the first thing to be seen was 
the " Star Spangled Banner," extended across the hall, 
and in the centre a banner, bearing the following : 
"Welcome, 29th C. V. ;" " Deep Bottom," "Straw- 
berry Plains, Ya.," "Siege of Petersburg," "New 
Market Heights," " Danberry Town Road," "Chapin's 
Farm," " Fair Oaks." At the head of the banner was 
an evergreen wreath, prepared by the ladies. On the 
stand were the busts of Lincoln and others. 

After feasting, they were ordered to march to Cen- 
tral Row, where they learned the 31st, U. S. C. I. had 
just arrived. The 29th and 31st then formed in a 
square on State House Square, where they were ad- 



122 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

dressed by Mayor Stillman ; afterwards, by His Ex- 
cellency, Gov. Buckingham. After a few remarks from 
Col. Wooster and Gen. Hawley, the 31st were escorted 
to the City Hall, where a breakfast awaited them. 
The 29th were then dismissed. 

THE NOBLE KANSAS TROOPS. 

On the 29th of Oct. 1S62, twenty-four men of the 
1 st Regiment of Kansas, Colored Volunteers, having 
advanced beyond the limits prescribed, were charged 
upon by one hundred and twenty of the Rebel cavalry. 
There was a desperate hand-to-hand encounter. 
There was no flinching ; no hesitating ; no trembling 
of limb. Each man saw exactly how matters stood, 
and, with calm precision, made every stroke tell. 
Finally re-inforcements came up. Out of the twenty- 
four men only six escaped unhurt. The Rebels were 
armed with shot-guns, revolvers and sabres ; our men 
with Austrian rifles and sabre bayonets. This last is 
a fearful weapon, and did terrible execution. Six 
Killer, the leader of the Cherokee negroes, shot two 
men, bayoneted a third, and laid the fourth with the 
butt of his gun. Another was attacked by three men. 
He discharged his rifle and had no time to load again. 
When asked to surrender, he replied by a stunning 
blow from the butt of his rifle, which knocked the 
Rebel off his horse. 

So ended the battle of Island Mounds, which re- 
sulted in a complete victory to the negro regiment. It 
has been found out that black men make splendid 
soldiers — that they are anxious to serve their country 
and their race. No one can point the finger of scorn 



COLORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 123 

at the Kansas troops and say they were cowards ; yet 
four months passed and they were not mustered—still 
they adhered to their organization through every dis- 
couragement and disadvantage. Chances of recogni- 
tion were slim. They demanded of the military au- 
thorities to be either accepted or disbanded. 

The ist North Carolina Regiment was commanded 
by Col. James C. Beecher, brother of the Rev. H. W. 
Beecher. Their camp was on the south side of the 
Neuse River. The ground had been enclosed by the 
men so that the locality presented quite a neat appear- 
ance. Col. Beecher thus writes to his friends : 

* * * ,; I wish doubtful people at home could see 
my three weeks' regiment. They would talk less nonsense about 
negro inferiority. Our discipline is to-day better than that of any 
regiment I know of ; and I believe, by the blessing of God, out 
efficiency will be second to none."' 

A little later he says : 

* * * u My regiment is a ' buster,' improves every day ; 
and such a line of battle as we form ! It would make your eyes 
shine to see these six weeks' soldiers going through a dress parade. 
A month later the regiment is considered ready for a fair fight." 

Towards the last of July they left Newbern for 
Charlestown, and were put to digging trenches, getting 
only a lull occasionally on the beach by moonlight. 
It was quite a romantic scene— the hard, white beach ; 
the ocean waves splashing along the sand ; the long line 
of black soldiers, their guns shining in the moonlight. 
They had a great desire to learn ; and, although the 
digging went on, the officers would instruct them at 
night in the speller, so that before they went to Florida 
three hundred of them had learned to read and write. 



124 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

Much has been said about the bravery of the 54th 
Mass. On one occasion it saved a whole brigade from 
being captured or annihilated. The lamented Col. 
Shaw was one of its commanders. At Fort Wagner, 
when the color sergeant fell, and our flag would have 
been trailing in the dust, one of its noble boys seized 
it, sprang upon the parapet, where he received three 
severe wounds. When the order was given to retire, 
the noble color bearer still held the flag in the air ; 
and, with the assistance of his comrades, succeeded in 
reaching the hospital, where he fell exhausted, saying: 
"The old flag never touched the ground, boys." 

There was a great deal of murmuring among the 
friends of the regiment in Boston, because of state- 
ments reaching them that it was called upon to per- 
form more than its proportional part of dangerous 
duty; and this seems true, since, in the most perilous 
places there would be found the glorious 54th. 

I mention a few facts to show that the slaves were 
so accustomed to obeying orders that they would fol- 
low out any instructions to the very letter. It is said 
that while General Grant was walking along the dock, 
smoking, a colored guard came up to him and said : 
'' No smoking on this dock, sir." The General looked 
at him and said: "Were those your orders?" "Yes, 
sir." " Very good orders," replied the General, smiling, 
and throwing his cigar into the water. Again, a Rebel 
picket offered a large piece of tobacco to a colored 
sentinel if he would give him one biscuit, or hard-tack 
as it is called. "Against orders to exchange with you 
Rebs.," he replied, and no entreaties would cause him 
to swerve one iota from his instructions. 



COLORED MEN DURING THE WAR. 125 

A Reb. was found by two colored pickets skulking 
outside the Union lines. How he cursed and swore 
when he found that he must be brought into camp 
under the surveillance of two black soldiers. He 
refused to stir one step ; " he 'd die on the spot first ;" 
" Just as you please," replied the guard, " we take you, 
dead or alive." The Reb. raved the more, and said : 
" It was enough to make his father rise up out of his 
grave." When last seen he was marching into camp 
at the point of the bayonet. 

In consequence of the breaking of the Weldon R. 
R. by Grant, much of the Rebel munitions of war 
and supplies had to be run over a distance of sixteen 
miles, and then transferred to the cars. Every thing 
that could be used for carrying purposes was pressed 
into their service. Horses and mules were scarce in 
the Confederacy, so, in many instances, negroes were 
hitched to the wagons, and it was said made better 
time than when horses were used. They would go on 
their way, singing and joking; and, after a half-hour's 
intermission at certain places, would push onward as 
fresh and lively as ever. 

The slaves were of great assistance to the Union 
army on account of their thorough knowledge of the 
country ; its ways and resources ; its wood, water, fuel, 
game ; and also of the habits of the enemy. Nothing 
escaped them. They 'd tell to-day what happened 
yesterday thirty miles off; would risk their lives to 
give any information which was to be of advantage to 
the Union. 

At Washington the contrabands, as they were termed 
during the war, knew every inch of ground between 



126 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

there and Richmond, and gave valuable information 
for maps, engineering parties and reconnoisances. 
Contraband pioneers, armed with sharp axe?, would 
go on expeditions through the woods, under cover of 
the carbines of the cavalry, hewing away the heavy 
timber, and preparing the road for the advance. Every 
thing in the shape of a dog was killed. About the 
plantations could be seen the lifeless bodies of blood- 
hounds whose deep baying would no longer be heard 
about the swamps, indicating the close proximity of 
pursuers. 




RECOLLECTIONS OF THE WAR. 127 



CHAPTER XI. 



RECOLLECTIONS OF THE WAR. 

The spirit of the South— Delaware— Kentucky— Meetings— Con- 
ventions— Gen. Wild's raid — Slave heroism — A reminiscence of 
1863— Sherman's march through Georgia— Arming the slave. 




HE spirit of the rebellion still shows itself in 
many of the States. Its influences are plainly 
manifested in the State of Delaware. In 
my escape from the South I passed through this State. 
How I ever succeeded, without being detected, I can 
not tell to this day. Nothing but the mercy of the 
Lord ever carried me through. Here, in the height 
of slavery, I went on board the boat at New Castle, 
and no white man questioned me as to my whereabouts, 
or asked for my pass. As for the town of New Castle, 
the very atmosphere seemed tainted with slavery. 

The feeling was most bitter in Odessa, during 1865, 
against persons of color from the North giving lectures 
in the town. On one occasion a mob of white ruffians 
surrounded a colored church, showering stones and 
bricks at the doors and windows, swearing that the 
meeting should be dismissed. One of the local laws 
of the State says that: "Any negro or mulatto 
coming into the State, who is a non-resident of the 



128 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

locality he may visit, is liable to a fine of fifty dol- 
lars, six month's imprisonment, and twenty-five lash- 
es." Learning of this, they concluded to dismiss the 
meeting. 

March 4th, 1865, Maj. Gen. Palmer issued an order 
that : " All slave pens, and other private establishments 
for confining persons in Louisville, be suppressed ; and 
all confined persons discharged, except such as have 
committed crimes." A colored police officer brought 
out many an innocent man and woman. Some had 
iron bars on their legs, reaching from the hip to the 
ankle and fastened on with iron straps. 

There was a time in the history of Kentucky when 
colored men, women and children found upon the 
highways after dark were surrounded by the city guard, 
and flogged by them in the public streets. In Louis- 
ville the Rev. Mr. James called a meeting at which 
delegates were appointed to hold an interview with the 
President, calling his attention to a few of the laws 
which bore so heavily on our race : First, they had no 
oath; second, they had no right of domicile; third, 
no right of locomotion ; fourth, no right of self-de- 
fence ; fifth, a statute of Kentucky makes it a penal 
crime, with imprisonment in the penitentiary for one 
year, for any freeman of color, under any circumstan- 
ces, to pass into a free State, even for a moment. Any 
freeman, not a native, found within her borders is sub- 
ject to the same penalty ; and for the second offence 
shall be a slave for life. 

In 1865 the first delegation of colored men that ever 
left Kentucky, on a mission of liberty, started for Wash- 
ington to accomplish the noble work entrusted to their 



RECOLLECTIONS OF THE WAR. 129 

hands. The interview was satisfactory, the President 
assuring them that the government would yield them 
every protection, and that the martial law would con- 
tinue till the Kentuckians should learn more truly their 
position, and their duty to the nation. 

The first free convention in the State of Virginia, 
during a period of two hundred and fifty-five years, 
was held in Alexandria, at the Lyceum Building. 
Fifty delegates were present. Addresses were made 
by Geo. W. Cook, of Norfolk ; Peter R. Jones, of 
Petersburg; and Nicholas Richmond, of Charlottes- 
ville. 

THE CELEBRATION OF THE FOURTH OF JULY 
IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. 

For the first time the people celebrated this day as 
a free people. Extensive preparations were made. 
There was a great out-pouring of people. They came 
from the factories, the work-shops and the fields to en- 
joy themselves in the pure, fresh air of freedom. The 
procession was formed in the following manner : 
123rd U. S. C. I. — eight hundred strong. 
Band. 
Fifth St. Sabbath School— Asbury Chapel S. S.— Quinn Chapel 
S. S.— Jackson St. S. S.— Green St. S. S.— 
York St. S. S.— Centre St. S. S. 
Band. 
Government Employees, one hundred and fifty — Sons of Union — 
West Union Sons — Sons of Honor — United Brothers of 
Friendship — United Fellows. 
Car tastefully decorated, drawn by four horses, filled with misses, 
representing the Fifth St. Baptist Aid Society. 
Car representing the Original aid Society in Kentucky. 
The Colored Ladies' Soldier's and Freedman's Aid Society. 
Car filled with working men, plying the saw, plane, 
hammer and mallet. 
125th U. S. C. I. — six hundred strong. 
Band. 

9 



130 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

Fully ten thousand persons marched in the proces- 
sion, and ten thousand more assembled on the ground. 
A sumptuous dinner was prepared for the soldiers, 
after which the speaking began. Addresses were made 
by David Jenkins, J. M. Langston, Chaplain Collins 
and Lieut. Ward. When Gen. Palmer appeared such 
a shout as went up was enough to bring all the invisi- 
ble sprites and spirits from their hiding places. As 
soon as it became quiet he began. His speech was 
continually applauded. He finished amid rounds of 
applause, banners waving, and the band playing the 
"Star Spangled Banner." That night the heavens 
were ablaze with rockets, fiery serpents and blue lights. 

GEN. WILD'S RAID. 

During a march, when our troops neared a planta- 
tion, the slaves would eagerly join them. In many in- 
stances in plundering the houses slaves were found 
locked up. Continually during this raiding expedition 
slaves came pouring in from the country in every di- 
rection, with their household furniture, thronging the 
lately deserted streets. This expedition was to search 
out guerrillas, lurking about the neighborhood of Eliza- 
beth City and firing on our pickets. A force of colored 
men fell on their camp. There was a hasty escapade, 
and the soldiers came in possession of fire-arms and 
horses. Leaving Elizabeth City, they passed by vast 
fields of corn a mile in extent, commodious looking 
buildings and magnificent plantations. Here the troops 
commenced to work in earnest, and became an army 
of liberation. 

On the first plantation they found fourteen slaves, 



RECOLLECTIONS OF THE WAR. 131 

who gladly joined them. An old wagon was found," to 
which a horse was harnessed. Such furniture as the 
slaves needed was placed in it, and the women and 
children on top. And so they went from house to 
house, gathering together the slaves, and whatever 
teams and horses could be found. Meanwhile, forag- 
ing went on, as there was an abundance of geese, 
chickens and turkeys. All the planters were " Secesh," 
so no restrictions were placed on the troops. The line 
of march continued, the contraband train continually 
growing in length. 

At Indian Town bridge Gen. Wild came upon a 
guerrilla camp. His men started upon the "double 
quick," and pursued them through woods, across corn 
fields, until they came to a swamp. Here no path 
whatever could be seen, and how the guerrillas suc- 
ceeded in covering their flight was, at first, a mystery ; 
but our men were in for it now, and did not intend to 
turn back before ferreting out the matter. They began 
a careful search, and soon found the trunk of a felled 
tree, well worn with footsteps. Near by was another, 
then another till they made quite a zig-zag footpath 
across the swamp. This solved the mystery. This, 
without doubt, led to the guerrilla quarters. Going 
single file they came upon a small island, which had 
been hastily evacuated— every thing was lying about in 
great confusion. According to orders, the soldiers 
burned the huts and took possession of whatever was 
worth keeping. The slaves on the plantations, ahead 
of the line, were notified by scouts to be ready to join 
the train when it should pass. By the time it reached 
Currituck Court House it was a mile in length. After 



132 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

three weeks the entire expedition returned to Norfolk. 
The raid was considered a very important one. 

The tables were now turned. Those proud-hearted 
planters, who claimed such strict obedience from their 
slaves, now actually fell down on their knees before 
these armed blacks and begged for their lives. The 
great cry among them was: ''What shall I do to be 
saved ?" Yes, now they were ready to take the oath of 
allegiance, give up their slaves ; any thing " to be 
saved ?" Whole families ran to the swamps when they 
heard that the raiders were near. 

This raid put at rest forever the question as to 
whether the negro troops were efficient in any part of 
the service. They performed all the duties of white 
soldiers — scouting, skirmishing, picket duty, guard 
duty; and, lastly, fighting. Gen. Wild had decided at 
one time to attack a guerrilla camp. With the excep- 
tion of thirty-five men, who were too lame to march, 
every man wanted to go and fight the guerrillas, not- 
withstanding those could remain back who wished to 
do so. A hundred men, however, were needed to 
guard the camp. No persuasions could induce them 
to volunteer to remain ; so at last Gen. Wild was obliged 
to detail the required number for this duty. Did any 
one ever think that the men who had been accustomed 
to hunt runaway slaves in the swamps of the South 
would now be hiding there themselves, be hunted by 
them ? Mysterious are thy ways, Oh, Lord ! 

When the rebellion first broke out a great many peo- 
ple thought "now the slaves will make a grand rush 
for the Northern side." They had prayed so long for 



RECOLLECTIONS OF THE WAR. 133 

liberty. Here it was, right in their hand ; but the 
slaves didn't do any such thing. Remaining quiet, and 
looking about to see how things on both sides were 
moving, was the very means that saved them. How 
were they to contend with their masters? They had 
no arms, nothing to fight with ; their masters had been 
collecting implements of war for some time and the 
slaves knew it ; knew where they were hid ; knew all 
the lines of fortification which they had been compelled 
to construct. Ah, the slaves were too wise to run any 
risk, with nothing but hoes in their hands. They said 
nothing, saw every thing, and at the right time they 
would give the Union valuable information. The 
Rebels lost their cause, and why ? Because the slaves 
were loyal to the government. If they had been dis- 
loyal, the Confederates would no doubt have won, or 
else some foreign power might have intervened and 
made trouble. As it is, the Rebs. owe an old grudge 
to the freedman, as much as to say : " It 's your fault 
we did n't win." 

HEROISM OF A CONTRABAND. 

It was just after the victory of the Excelsior Brigade 
at Fair Oaks, when Gen. Sickels received word that' 
the enemy were advancing. Orders for preparation 
for battle were given. At last all was in readiness for 
the advance ; but only a few shots were to be heard in 
the distance, otherwise every thing was quiet. What 
did it mean ? The General asked Lieutenant Palmer 
to take a squad of men with him and ride cautiously to 
the first bend in the road; but he, too impetuous, rushed 
daringly ahead till he was within range of the enemy. 



f 



134 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

He fell, pierced with bullets. His soldiers hastily re- 
treated to their camp and told their news. Among 
the listeners was a negro servant of Lieut. Palmer, who 
quietly withdrew and walked down that road — that 
road of death — for after passing our picket guard he 
was openly exposed to the Rebel sharp-shooters. When 
our soldiers came up, the faithful servant was found by 
the side of his dead master. I regret that the name of 
this heroic soul remains unknown to the world — a 
name worthy to be emblazoned on the pages of history. 
We used often to hear the question asked, " can the 
negro take care of himself? If he is set free, to rely on 
his own resources, will he not die of starvation ?" Let 
us see. At Pine Bluffs there was a full black, known as 
Uncle Reuben. He was born in Georgia, and displayed 
such energy, tact and devotion to his master's interest 
that he was left in full charge of every thing on the 
plantation. The slave raised his master from poverty 
to wealth. At last his master died, and his widow de- 
pended still more upon Uncle Reuben, placing all in 
his hands. He became more ambitious, and succeed- 
ed so well that the number of cotton bales increased 
every year. The children were sent North to school. 
The white overseers became jealous of him, and com- 
pelled his mistress to place a white, nominally over him. 
However, he was not interfered with, and his mistress 
treated him as kindly as she dared. Then the sons re- 
turned from the North, with no feelings of gratitude to 
one who by his industry and prudence had educated 
them, and amassed a fortune of one hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars. Thank Clod, he lived to see free- 
dom's light, and after being assured that the Procla- 
mation was a fact, he came over to us. 



RECOLLECTIONS OF THE WAR. 135 

A REMINISCENCE OF 1 863. 

Probably no act — the Ku Klux system excepted — was 
more distressing than the ever-to-be-remembered riot 
which occurred in Xew York city during the year of 
1863. ( The mob spirit first manifested itself at a 
meeting held in Boston, December 3d, i860, in observ- 
ance of the anniversary of the death of John Brown). 
I can but look back and shudder at the great carnival 
of blood. The mob commenced on the 10th of July, 
and continued day and night for more than a week. 
My heart aches when memory recalls that awful day, 
when the whole city was in a state of insurrection. 
The full force of the infuriated mob fell upon the black 
man, the harmless, unpretending black man, whose only 
crime was that his skin was of a darker hue than his 
white brethren ; that he came of a race which for more 
than two hundred years has felt the sting of slavery in 
its very soul. I know of no race that has undergone 
more sufferings than the black race of America. 

Brought here from our mother country, we have be- 
dewed the soil with our blood and tears. Unlike the 
Indian, we leave vengeance to the Lord. " He will re- 
pay." In this riot hundreds of colored people were 
driven from their homes, hunted and chased through 
the streets like wild beasts. A sweet babe was brained 
while holding up his little arms, and smiling upon his 
murderers. Many little children were killed in this 
manner. Strong men were dragged from their homes 
and left dangling from some lamp post or tree, or else 
slaughtered on the streets— their blood flowing in 
streams down the pavements. Able-bodied men, 
whose mangled bodies hung up to lamp posts, were 



136 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

in a great many instances burned to cinders. The 
colored people were panic stricken and sought shelter 
in out-of-the-way nooks and places ; but even then 
some were discovered by the mob on their way to 
a retreat and quickly dispatched ; hundreds flocked 
to the doors of police stations, prisons and jails, and 
begged admittance. No colored man, woman or child 
was spared if found. As a general thing, colored ten- 
ants occupy whole streets, so the mob knew pretty well 
what localities to plunder. Pistol shots were fired 
through the windows, murdering many at their homes 
and by their firesides. This accounts for the great 
loss of life, greater than if the people lived more scat- 
tered. The police were not able to cope with the 
murderers though it is believed they did what they 
could, going in companies of two or three hundred to 
such parts of the city as needed their protection most. 
A most heartless transaction committed by these fiends, 
was the destruction of the Colored Orphan Asylum, 
after first robbing the little children of their clothing. 
These helpless lambs were driven friendless upon the 
world from the burning Asylum, which had been their 
abode. The mob went on at a terrible rate. 

My family were quietly seated at the table one bright 
July morning when we were startled by the sudden 
ringing of the door bell. Upon responding, we found 
that a family with whom we were well acquainted had 
succeeded in escaping from the city, and sought refuge 
in our quiet suburb until quietness and peace should 
reign, so as to enable them to return to their own 
home. Oh! ye people of the North, before you cen- 
sure too strongly the actions of the South, rid your 



RECOLLECTIONS OF THE WAR. 137 

own soil of that fiendish element which makes it an 
opprobrium to call America " the land of the free and 
the home of the brave." 

Sherman's march through Georgia. 

During Sherman's march from Atlanta to Savannah, 
many thousands of slaves came into the ranks, all of 
whom appeared overjoyed that " de Yanks had come." 
It would often happen that he would encamp on the 
plantations that planters had deserted. Here would 
be found an abundance of the good things of this life, 
of which the soldiers would readily partake. At one 
place only the old, decrepit slaves were left. These 
were half naked, and nearly starved ; they had been 
told frightful stories about the cruelties of the Yankee 
soldiers, and were as frightened as could be when the 
army arrived. Upon being reassured that no harm 
would be done them, they were overwhelming in their 
thanks to Gen. Sherman for clothing and feeding them. 

And thus it was; all along the march the most pa- 
thetic scenes would occur. Thousands of women, car- 
rying household goods, some with children in their 
arms, all anxious to join the column. When refused, 
some most heart-rending scenes would take place; such 
begging to be allowed to go on to Savannah, where, 
says one : " My chillens done been sold dese four 
years ;" or to Macon to "see my boy." Gen. Sherman, 
with great tact, succeeded in quieting them, telling 
them they would return for them some day and they 
must be patient. An aged couple had been waiting 
sixty years for deliverance. No one to see them at 
work on the plantation would suppose that they were 



138 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

any thing but satisfied with their condition. No mur- 
mur, no words of discontent ever passed their lips ; 
they made no comments on the actions of runaway 
slaves ; their master had no fears for them ; yet, could 
he have seen the face of the woman when she heard 
that the Yankees had come, he would have seen that 
he had not read her heart aright. Such an expression 
as her countenance assumed was terrible to behold. 
" Bress de Lord," she exclaimed, " I expects to follow 
them till I drop in my tracks." As her husband did 
not see the situation of things as quickly as she did, 
she angrily said : " What are you sitting dar fur, do n't 
yer see de door open ? I 'se not waited sixty years for 
nuttin'." It is said that no persuasions would prevail 
upon her to remain where she had suffered so much, 
and old as she was she would follow the army. This 
is only one of the many hundred cases which con- 
stantly occurred during the war. This poorly en- 
lightened people all seemed to think that the Yankees 
would come some time or other, and that their freedom 
was the object of the war. This notion, I suppose, 
they got from hearing their masters talk. 

The Rebel leaders had their attention completely 
absorbed by the vast preparations they were making 
for carrying on the war, by the increasing of State 
debts, etc. The question of arming the slaves, which 
had been warmly debated at Richmond, was overlook- 
ed. The governors of the several Southern States had 
also pondered this question as the only means to save 
the Confederacy, which under its various reverses, was 
slowly but surely dying. The South knew it could not 
hold out much longer. An intelligent mulatto in Ma- 



RECOLLECTIONS OF THE WAR. 139 

con, Ga., who used to attend his master's store would 
often make mention of such conversation as he over- 
heard between his master and some of the first men of 
the city. They used to get together in the counting 
room and say: " It was no use to fight the North any 
longer ; the South would surely be whipped in the end, 
and the best thing that could be done, would be to fix 
up the old Union." When asked if these men talked 
so on the public street, he replied : " No, sir." These 
very men would go out on the street and talk wild about 
"whipping the Yankees, the South never giving up," 
and a lot of other trash. It is said that the Rebels 
so frightened their slaves, telling them stories of the 
cruelties which would be practiced upon them if ever 
they put themselves in the power of the Yankees that 
the most ignorant knew scarcely which way to turn, 
when the question of arming the slaves was discussed. 
There was nothing said by the South about the reward 
for their services. It rather looked upon them in the 
same light as when they worked in the field ; neither 
was it prepared to meet the various objections raised 
by the white soldiers, if compelled to fight with them, 
side by side. So, as all parties could not be satisfied, 
the matter was allowed to drop, though I have no 
doubt but that to save herself, a few would have been 
willing to have increased their forces, by accepting the 
assistance of the slave. 



14:0 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE EXODUS. 

Arrival of negroes in Washington — Hospitality of Washington 
people — Suffering and privation — Education of the freedmen — 
Causes of emigration — Cruelty at the South — Prejudice at the 
North — Hopes for the future. 




HE rebellion at length closed after a bloody 
carnage of about four years. The manacles 
of the slave had been burst asunder. Left 
in abject poverty, he is suddenly thrown upon his own 
resources for support. In many instances the ex-slave- 
holder employed his former slaves on his plantation, 
paying them certain wages: others hired their own 
ground, and being perfectly familiar with the raising 
of cotton, sugar, corn and other grain, succeeded in 
making quite a comfortable living, and having some- 
thing laid by " for a rainy day." But this was not to 
last long. The peace of the quiet villages and towns 
was soon disturbed by night-raiders. Law-abiding 
citizens were torn from their beds at midnight, hung, 
robbed and flogged. This was not alone confined to 
black men, but white men also suffered. The cruel- 
ties inflicted upon both races during this " reign of 
terror," are almost indescribable. 



THE EXODUS. 141 

This, together with the unjust treatment by the 
planters in relation to paying wages, renting land, etc., 
forms the cause of the exodus. We read accounts of 
where hundreds are leaving their native soil and be- 
ginning life anew in another clime. Whether they 
will be able to withstand the rigorous winters of the 
West remains to be seen. Already many have perished 
from exhaustion and cold, not being sufficiently clad, 
and being wholly without means to procure articles 
necessary to their comfort. Yet when we look back 
and see the wrongs heaped upon a poor, down-trodden 
race we can not but cry : "On with the Exodus." 

I had read of hundreds of freedmen leaving their 
homes and starting for the West, but I never expected 
to be an eye witness of such a scene. In December, 
1879, while visiting Washington, preparatory to going 
further South, there arrived at the depot from two to 
three hundred freed people, among which were a num- 
ber of children. It seems their money gave out as 
they reached Washington, and here they must remain 
until means could be obtained to send them further on. 
Here they were strangers ; no where to go, near the 
edge of evening, yet no where to lay their heads. At 
this crisis the Rev. Mr. Draper hearing of their situa- 
tion kindly offered them his church, (St. Paul, 8th St., 
South Washington), till other arrangements could be 
made. Here they were made as comfortable as possi- 
ble, and seemed pleased that they were under shelter. 
I was told that quite a number had gone on some 
weeks before, and that they were mostly men. This 
last party had a majority of women, many of them go- 
ing on to meet their husbands. The people of Wash- 



142 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

ington were very kind to the strangers, giving them 
food and clothing in abundance. On the Sunday fol- 
lowing their arrival the pavements were blockaded for 
squares, all anxious to get a peep at them. The 
church was not a large one, so to prevent confusion, 
visitors were requested to pass in one door and out of 
the other. 

Within, a novel sight presented itself; the gallery in 
the rear of the church had the appearance of a nurse- 
ry. Children, from a two months' babe upwards, were 
lying here and there upon the benches or under them, 
fast asleep. Others were busily engaged in satisfying 
the inner man. The day I was present there was a 
reporter gathering scraps of information for his paper. 
It was really interesting to hear some of them converse. 
Many appeared to be quite intelligent ; says one : " Do 
you suppose I'd leave my little home, which I owned, 
and go to a place I know nothing of, unless I was com- 
pelled to. 'Taint natur. We heard they killed a man 
the day we left, dey was so mad, and in some places 
dey tore up de track to keep us from leaving." Says 
the reporter : " Suppose you get to Indiana and you 
find no work there ?" Answered : " Den I keeps going 
till I finds it." They all seemed willing to work if 
they could only find it to do. 

Visitors, as they passed around, on coming to the 
altar found two small baskets into which they could 
drop as much money as they felt disposed. This was 
to assist in defraying the expenses the rest of the jour- 
ney. As often as a certain amount was made up, they 
would send away so many at a time. 

There was among the company a white woman, 



THE EXODUS. 143 

whom at first I took to be a leader, as she seemed so 
energetic, going out and begging proper clothing for 
the most destitute, distributing food among them, etc. 
But upon conversing with her I found I was mistaken. 
She assured me she was as much a part of the " Exo- 
dus," as the rest. That she received no better treat- 
ment at her home than the rest did, and she was glad 
to get away. Some of the prominent lady members of 
St. Paul's Chapel were most kind in their attentions to 
the wanderers, leaving their own duties at home to 
spend days in administering to their comfort ; and often 
were the expressions, " God bless you, de Lord will 
pay you back, honey," heard on all sides. I did not 
have an opportunity to see them but once, for when I 
went again I found they had gone ; and it is hoped 
they have all found good, comfortable homes in that 
land towards which their hearts had turned with so 
much faith and hope. 

TERRIBLE SUFFERING OF THE FREEDMEN AT 
WASHINGTON. 

A host of miserable women with children, besides 
old, crippled and sick persons were driven out of Mary- 
land and sought refuge here. Those who were able to 
work went out by the day to earn money with which 
to pay a rent of from five to six dollars for some old 
shanty, garret, cellar or stable. Hundreds of old per- 
sons and children were without shoes and stockings, 
and were badly frost-bitten. Infants, only a few days 
old, without a garment, perished with cold. Very few 
of the older persons had any under-garments, for they 
came from Maryland and Virginia clothed in rags ; 



144 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

very few had comfortable beds and household utensils. 
The children died off rapidly. During the hot weather 
the quartermaster's department furnished about eighty 
coffins per week, mostly for children. "In slavery," 
the mothers say, " our children never dies ; it 'pears 
like they all dies here." One family lost five out of 
ten children ; another, three out of seven. Sleeping 
on the shanty and stable floors during the winter 
brought on colds and pulmonary diseases which termi- 
nated the lives of hundreds. The ladies of the District 
were indefatigable in their efforts to relieve them. 
Those in Springfield, Mass., kindly solicited aid for 
these distressed people, gathering clothing of every 
kind, and were quite successful in sending something 
to their afflicted brethren. 

EDUCATING THE FREEDMEN. 

This is a matter which absorbed the minds of the 
North : whether the negro would learn, and eagerly 
improve the facilities opened to him through his liber- 
ation. Almost immediately after the close of the war 
barracks used by the soldiers were turned into school- 
houses, and it was no rare sight to see a number of 
these freedmen crowded into them, over whom pre- 
sided some noble-hearted lady engaged in her duties 
as school-marm. Would they learn ? Let the record 
of the last fourteen or fifteen years testify. 

I can not let this opportunity pass without paying a 
tribute of respect to the memory of Miss Stebbins, 
who died while devoting her life to this cause. When 
I last saw her she was in Washington, D. C, at the 
barracks on the corner of Seventh and O Streets. 



THE EXODUS. 145 

She lived in one portion of the building, and, although 
school hours were over, she was instructing two bright, 
interesting girls in the mysteries of the alphabet. In 
one corner of the room were boxes of clothing which 
she distributed among the most needy of her pupils, 
that they might look presentable day after day. Not 
only children, but adults attended school, and it was 
not unusual to see a father and son, a mother and 
daughter in the same class, eager and anxious to learn. 
Says one teacher, who kept a night school for the 
benefit of those who were not able, on account of their 
work, to attend during the day : " I had a boy present 
himself as wishing to become a member of the school. 
After examining him, I found he was pretty well up in 
all the first principles of arithmetic, except long divis- 
ion — of this he knew nothing. I was astonished to 
find, after going over a few examples, explaining care- 
fully as I went along, that when the pencil was put in 
his hand he worked as well as I could." From that 
night he had no more trouble with long division. 
That boy was afterwards a hard student at Howard 
University, and learned to read Latin with ease. 

What nation, after years of servitude has made such 
rapid strides of improvement? All over the South we 
find schools with efficient teachers, many of whom 
were formerly pupils, now going over the same ground 
others had taken them. The barracks have given way 
to school buildings of the most modern design. The 
schools are all graded, the scholars advancing step by 
step till they reach the topmost round. Perhaps no 
better examples can be furnished than the District of 
Columbia, where the school system is fixed upon a 
firmer and better basis than elsewhere. 
10 



146 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

THE BEGINNING OF THE END. 

The emigration of my people from the Southern 
States has engaged my attention for some time. In 
Heathsville, Va., the place of my birth, the colored 
people are not treated with such severity as in the 
States further South, for in Heathsville they have 
more privileges than they have in Western Virginia. I 
think the cause of this great emigration is owing to the 
fact of ill treatment, equal almost to slavery ; because 
of cruelties heaped upon them in the South, and be- 
cause of the hopelessness of obtaining an education for 
their children. It was the burden of their complaint ; 
their political rights had been denied them, and every 
possible advantage had been taken from them, and 
feeling aggrieved they had looked around for relief, and 
the only solace offered was to emigrate. In some parts 
of the South our people labor without hardly wages 
enough to get them food, which places many of them 
in a starving condition, and without sufficient clothing. 
Twenty-five cents a day is considered great wages, 
taking part corn for pay. My heart has been drawn 
out for them in sympathy, knowing myself what it was 
to want, even in Virginia, a meal of victuals. 

The emigrants adopted a plan of action to appeal to 
President Hayes, for him to enforce the laws to protect 
their rights. Then they appealed to Congress to set 
apart a territory, or aid them to emigrate to Liberia. 
Our people lost all hope of bettering their condition at 
that time. In 1877 they petitioned Congress and Presi- 
dent Hayes. Not hearing from this petition the color- 
ed emigrants became exasperated, saying : " Let us go 
any where in Cod's world to get away from these men 



THE EXODUS. 147 

who once enslaved us." Many of the white republi- 
cans of the South are treated not much better than the 
colored people, because they are republicans. Since 
they have emigrated many children, fathers and moth- 
ers have died from starvation and exposure, for they 
were without shelter and nothing to wear, lying on the 
cold ground, exposed to the winter blasts with only 
the sky for a covering. 

The number of those who poured in upon the State 
of Kansas, early in the spring of 1879, is known to have 
been four or five thousand. Steadily has been the 
flow of the small stream which attracted so little atten- 
tion, and by the opening of the spring of 1880 over 
ten thousand arrived, and probably since the spring of 
1880 twice the number have emigrated. I think that 
something must be the cause for their great emigration 
more than common, for my people are a home like 
people ; they would never leave the Southern soil if 
properly treated, or had wages enough to make them 
comfortable ; as a general thing they are home-loving 
and law-abiding citizens. While living South they felt 
they had "no rights that the white man was bound to 
respect." 

All praise is due to Mrs. Comstock, for her self-de- 
nying philanthropy exhibited towards my people, for 
they must have suffered more had it not been for her 
endeavors, in writing all over the United States to our 
most prominent citizens for help to relieve their suffer- 
ings. The people in many places have responded to 
her call. Here, in Norwich, the ladies have come up 
to the work as they always do where assistance is 
needed among my people. God bless them for what 



148 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH. 

they have clone; hoping that they will think of them 
in the future, as they are still leaving their land of 
slavery, as they expect the freedom which they have 
fought for and hoped for. In their going away their 
places can not be filled, for they were the bone and 
sinew of the South. 

While I write, there are fifty thousand pounds of 
clothing, sent on in T879 from England, held at the 
New York Custom House for duty to be paid on them. 
They were sent for my people in Kansas. It is wicked 
to deprive these poor, suffering people of comfortable 
clothing while so many are dying for the want of it. I 
trust that the hearts of the people everywhere will be so 
softened towards my injured people that they will be 
induced to send them on, even if obliged to pay the 
duty on them, and not wait for Congress to decide. 
Shall this people die, who have stood by us in sunshine 
and storm? Shall we let them suffer for the want of 
bread, for the want of corn, for the want of clothing ? 
God forbid it ! As they stood by the flag once, they 
stand by it still, because it bespeaks freedom to them 
and their posterity. 

When the Rebel army was five miles from the Capi- 
tal, and the skirmishers were three miles from George- 
town, when it was conjectured that the assault would 
take place the next morning, it was then our colored 
soldiers met the waves of conflict ; it was then the 
bone and sinews of the South saved the Capital of 
the United States. Aye ; my soul listens already to 
the glad prelude of the song of triumph, swelling up 
from myriads of hearts, and welling into a paean that 
fills the vast concave of heaven itself with the deep- 



THE EXODUS. 149 

toned melodies of an universal jubilee : t% Washington 
is saved!" Then our colored soldiers came up to its 
rescue, which contradicts the saying, that colored men 
will not fight. Well did they do their duty, and proved 
their manhood at Fort Wagner, Fort Moultrie, Peters- 
burg, Miliken's Bend, Fort Fisher, and other places, 
while their families were left starving at home. We 
all know that these things are so, although they are 
not recorded in history with other events of the war. 

We hope the time will come when our children, at- 
tending white seminaries of learning, may receive med- 
als the same as white students. In Connecticut, and 
elsewhere, prizes and medals have been, and are with- 
held from our most brilliant scholars of color. In one 
of our Eastern colleges a colored student was robbed 
of his essay, and had recourse to a law-suit to have 
justice done him ; but was obliged to write another, 
and received the prize at his graduation, after the law- 
suit was ended. He was obliged to go another year in 
order to accomplish it. The wrongs of this system will 
go up before the Throne of Infinite Justice. 

The United States ought to be strong enough in in- 
tellect, in moral sensibility and Christian feeling, to 
conquer her prejudices. Until she does, the poet's 
tribute to "Columbia" as "the land of the free and 
the home of the brave," will be a satire that shall pro- 
voke a reproachful smile — attesting her fidelity to 
justice and liberty, God and man. 

The leading question of to-day is, why do the color- 
ed people emigrate ? Almost every day and week dur- 
ing the spring of 1880, it was discussed among the 
senators and representatives in Congress, the argument 



150 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF J. L. SMITH. — THE EXODUS. 

having taken up most of the time ; the question also 
created quite a discussion in 1879; the Southern sen- 
ators, who were the majority in the Senate, were loath 
to drop the question. 

In conclusion, I must say that the more I contem- 
plate the condition of my people, the more I am con- 
vinced that this is only the beginning of the end ; but 
the end is not yet. 



'-»-#Frflis.#*> 



